What does the phrase I suck mean?
I suck is a phrase people use to describe their inadequacy or shortcoming of something.
It is also used interchangeably with I'm bad at this or I'm not very good at this.
People generally think that using this phrase is harmless. It is in some cases if it's in a joking way and you don't truly believe it about yourself, but are saying it for the benefit of someone else's joke. For most people, it may be harming you without you even knowing.
Have you ever lied before and then actually started to believe the lie? How about having false memories. Has someone ever told you a story and then a few months or years later you told that same story, but remembered it as though it was your own personal story? I know I have.
This same thing can happen when you repeatedly tell yourself something. You may think that you don't actually suck, but if you tell yourself you do, your unconscious mind will actually start to believe it. This can cause some real damage to your success and in some cases, even your mental health.
Your unconscious mind is like a computer program that runs in the back of your mind. Have you ever tried to unlearn how to ride a bike or how to walk? You practiced walking so much in your life that it has been stored in your unconscious mind. You can walk without having to think which leg goes first. It is all automatic.
When you tell yourself that you suck, you are essentially programming your brain to think you are inadequate and that you won't succeed. Let's say you are studying for a test and you can't seem to get the concept, so you say "I suck." Once or twice probably won't hurt, but what if you say it for other things like baseball, or typing?
You are programming that failure mentality into all of these other subjects. Then when you go to try a new activity and you face an obstacle, your failure program will kick in and let you know that you aren't very good at this either, thus making it easier to quit. This is also the case if you use blanket statements like "I suck at everything" or "I'm bad at everything."
Unconscious programming doesn't happen overnight, just like learning to walk doesn't happen overnight. It is an accumulated effort of what you tell yourself, what others tell you, what you watch, listen to, etc. It starts when you are just a small child. It happens even if someone didn't say you aren't very good. It happens because of our beliefs.
Children believe all sorts of things, so they may come to the conclusion that they are a failure because of how their parents respond or don't respond. An example might be a child thinking they are dumb because their parents were always comparing their brother or sister to them. "They got an A, why can't you?" Things like this, but happen many times. Eventually, the child develops a belief even if it's not true.
I encourage you to watch the things you think and say because they could affect you in the future. You could be saying "I suck" today and don't believe it, but 5 or 10 years from now you might actually really struggle because it's a belief stored in your unconscious mind.
Can you relate to this? If so, let us know in the comments. Do you constantly struggle with suicidal thoughts? If so, please visit our I Want to Kill Myself page to see how I found hope and am free from these thoughts.
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