Self-critical personality style

People who display features of this personality style have an enduring tendency to blame themselves when anything goes wrong. They also tend to be self-critical and demanding on themselves to an irrational extent. Although they may prefer it when others take control of tasks, they are still likely to berate themselves for one or another aspect of the job. People with features of the self-critical personality style do not expect the high level of perfection that perfectionists demand of themselves and of others. Rather, they are more likely to believe that others will perform much better than they would at the same tasks. They may regularly seek reassurance from others about their own performance but such reassurance may be short-lived or only last until the next task. They often have a developmental history of uncaring and/or abusive parenting and other deprivational experiences.

Key features of the Self-critical Personality Style (derived from our Temperament and Personality Questionnaire):

• Tendency to be extremely tough on themselves.

• Extremely self-critical.

• Difficulty in measuring up to own standards.

• Prefers others to take control and make decisions.

• Others say they are too hard on themselves.

• Reliance on others for praise and reassurance.

Under stress, people who display features of this personality style are likely to become indecisive and lose focus on their immediate goals.