Most people experience insecurities about themselves from time to time. It may feel like one’s situation is “not enough” or “not good enough”. But why do we feel that way? Here are some of the most well-known psychological mechanisms leading to feeling inadequate.

Unrealistic expectations

Inadequacy is often related to perfectionism. Perfectionism is a pursuit of being flawless in order to prove our worth and avoid criticism. E.g. by having high standards for oneself or by trying to control things.

But we tend to burden ourselves when we can’t live up to these expectations. Perfectionism can therefore easily make us feel inadequate.

Self-doubt

Inadequacy is related to self-doubt. Self-doubt can be described as a lack of confidence in oneself or in one’s abilities.

When we doubt ourselves it becomes hard to recognize our successes, talents, accomplishments, and even worth. And that’s why self-doubt can lead to feeling inadequate.

Social comparison

Social comparison is a way to evaluate and make judgments about ourselves in comparison to others.

Comparing ourselves to others can easily make us feel like we “should” be like them or that we “ought to” have and do the things they do. Social comparison is therefore a mechanism that can make us feel inadequate.

Do you want to know more about these underlying mechanisms of feeling inadequate and how to handle them, then try the tool: Challenge Inadequacy