Embracing Your Inner Critic: Turning Self-Criticism into a Creative Asset

The inner critic. It whispers, whines, and needles us into place. It checks our thoughts, controls our behavior, and inhibits action. It thinks it is protecting us from being disliked, hurt, or abandoned. Instead, the critical inner voice causes shame, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and low-self-esteem. It acts as a powerful saboteur of our intimate relationships and is a major contributor to drug and alcohol abuse. Through examples and exercises, the Stones show us how to recognize the critic, how to avoid or minimize “critic attacks,” and, most important, how the inner critic can become an intelligent, perceptive, and supportive partner in life.