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  3. Chronic low self-esteem?

Chronic low self-esteem?

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  • realJSOPR realJSOP

    I was making sport (that's part of my dry wit). If I was truly concerned about what people thought of me, I wouldn't have provided both questions. You can think what you want and try to over-analize anything I might do, but like everyone else here, you're not qualified to comment on my state of mind, level of self-esteem or anything else like that. So, blow me. :) ------- signature starts "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 Please review the Legal Disclaimer in my bio. ------- signature ends

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    Jamie Hale
    wrote on last edited by
    #34

    John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: So, blow me. Drop 'em, cutie. J

    "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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    • J Jamie Hale

      Anyone else here suffer from this? What do you do to cope? J

      "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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      Zachery
      wrote on last edited by
      #35

      You have to wallow in it and thrive off it. I don't consider my self-esteem low, I feel I have an accurate portrayal of myself. But, I find that keeping your esteem low (or realistic) no one can really say anything about you that will get to you too much. I find that if you're true to yourself, say F everyone else's opinion, you'll be good to go. Drugs also help.

      ..........Zack.......... Developer Extraordinaire && Full Time Geek

      "Don't go out of your way to step on people's toes, but don't stop walking all-together." GCS\P\SS d- s-:- a-- C++$ U--- P--- L- E- W++ N o K-? w+++ O++ !M-- V PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5+ X+ R++ tv++ b++ DI++ D+++ G+>G++++ e* h- r++ y+

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      • T Tim Smith

        Same here. I am stopped dead in my tracks wondering what the point of the statement might be. Given how the whale feeds, he has little need for a larger opening. Then again, I was never much on dime store philosophy. Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

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        David Wulff
        wrote on last edited by
        #36

        Tim Smith wrote: Given how the whale feeds, he has little need for a larger opening. It's not for food. :suss: ;)


        David Wulff

        "It is a helpless feeling to be unable to make something so terribly wrong... right."

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        • T Tom Archer

          The point of the Serenity Prayer is that there is a higher power that made you who you are (regardless of what you call that higher power) and that you are not asking it to solve your problems for you - the key words in that prayer or "grant me the serenty, the courage and the wisdom". Nowhere does it state that the higher power will be doing anything other than enabling you to take care of your own situations. Cheers, Tom Archer, Inside C# Mainstream is just a word for the way things always have been -- just a middle-of-the-road, tow-the-line thing; a front for the Man serving up the same warmed-over slop he did yesterday and expecting you to say, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

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          Jamie Hale
          wrote on last edited by
          #37

          Alright. :) I pondered the actual prayer over lunch, and I think within it is some direction for me. Thanks for the input. J

          "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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          • J Jamie Hale

            John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: So, blow me. Drop 'em, cutie. J

            "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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            Chris Maunder
            wrote on last edited by
            #38

            Thanks for the mental image. There goes the appetite for lunch ;) cheers, Chris Maunder

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            • J Jamie Hale

              Hmmm. Trick is, the implied "God" that precedes that quote is where I have trouble. While I do believe in god, I don't feel it's his problem to solve - it's mine. How does one go about gathering the power to accept that which I cannot change? J

              "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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              Chris Maunder
              wrote on last edited by
              #39

              By putting it in perspective. cheers, Chris Maunder

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              • J Jamie Hale

                Anyone else here suffer from this? What do you do to cope? J

                "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                Megan Forbes
                wrote on last edited by
                #40

                I'm pretty sure this is normal for most geekish types :) After 12 years at school knowing very few people with the same interests, it's bound to happen. I'm pretty sure that's why we're all drawn to CP so much - it's a relief to find people we can relate to. I know my body language isn't always "normal", probably due to a poor attempt at hiding shyness. I usually cope with this by making jokes (often out of place). But at the same time, I'm not too bothered if people don't understand me - I like being on my own, it gives me time to think, contemplate and enjoy my own company :) One thing I can suggest, is smile (but not too enthusiastically). Being different from the norm doesn't make someone a nasty person, it just makes them unusual. While I don't mind people misunderstanding me, it would bother me if someone thought I was cruel or uncaring. Don't feel alone :rose: What do you do to cope btw?


                To honor you, and your sick games, this smiley ;p will now represent licking chocolate off candy - David Chamberlain

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                • D Daniel Turini

                  Jamie Hale wrote: Anyone else here suffer from this? What do you do to cope? Some people use Viagra :-D I had exactly the opposite problem. I was overly confident on myself. And then, I humbly looked for professional help. It worked: now, I'm perfect, almost a god. ORACLE One Real A$#h%le Called Lary Ellison

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                  Gary Wheeler
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #41

                  Daniel, meet John. John, this is Daniel. You two have a lot in common. :rolleyes:


                  Software Zen: delete this;

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                  • J Jeremy Falcon

                    Identify your insecurities and then get rid of them. Me, I used to fat, and I was insecure about it. Well, I lost the fat! Seems simple, but few rarely do it. It's liberating actually. Jeremy Falcon

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                    Jamie Hale
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #42

                    I believe this is part of my problem. I'm not sure what my insecurities are. I've been trying to figure it out, but when I look back at my life, I can identify times very early on where I've lashed out or tried to overcompensate for a lack of confidence. To me, this means I've been dealing with this stuff for a bunch of years. One completely vain possibility is that I feel I've been alienated most my life because I'm a red-head. I'm sure it's a self-imposed feeling of alienation, but real nonetheless. And simply dying my hair isn't going to accomplish anything. :) J

                    "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                    • J Jamie Hale

                      Anyone else here suffer from this? What do you do to cope? J

                      "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                      Stan Shannon
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #43

                      Over my lifetime I have observed that people with low self esteem are usually right.;)

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                      • L l a u r e n

                        "give me the power to change the things i can change and accept the things i cant change"


                        "penguins have no bill"
                        biz stuff   about me

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                        Lost User
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #44

                        And the wisdom to tell them apart :rose: Elaine (philosophical fluffy tigress) The tigress is here :-D

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                        • L Lost User

                          Jamie Hale wrote: What do you do to cope? Once when a wiser older co-worker and myself stumbled upon a screwed up jumble of poorly engineered equipment that we had to fix, I started ranting and raving about it and generally getting all pissed off, he said: "At 80 feet long and weighing over 100 tons the Blue whale is the largest mammal to ever inhabit the earth, yet it's throat opening is no bigger around than yours or mine. There's nothing the whale can do about it. So stop screaming about what 'should be' and hand me a damn wrench." 'nuff said.


                          Work like you don't need the money.
                          Love like you've never been hurt.
                          Dance like nobody's watching.

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                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #45

                          Excellent, and a 5 :cool: The tigress is here :-D

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                          • J Jamie Hale

                            Anyone else here suffer from this? What do you do to cope? J

                            "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                            Zachery
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #46

                            "My gym is the International House of Pancakes. There's no reason to body build. That's why God gave us the Internation House of Pancakes. No matter how bad you feel about yourself their'll always be someone who's 500lbs heavier then you'll ever be their. It's on the back of the menu, read it sometime!"

                            ..........Zack.......... Developer Extraordinaire && Full Time Geek

                            "Don't go out of your way to step on people's toes, but don't stop walking all-together." GCS\P\SS d- s-:- a-- C++$ U--- P--- L- E- W++ N o K-? w+++ O++ !M-- V PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5+ X+ R++ tv++ b++ DI++ D+++ G+>G++++ e* h- r++ y+

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                            • C Chris Maunder

                              By putting it in perspective. cheers, Chris Maunder

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                              Jamie Hale
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #47

                              Putting what in perspective? The things I can and cannot change? J

                              "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                              • T Tim Smith

                                Same here. I am stopped dead in my tracks wondering what the point of the statement might be. Given how the whale feeds, he has little need for a larger opening. Then again, I was never much on dime store philosophy. Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

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                                Zachery
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #48

                                It's the "don't worry about what you can't change" philosphy. It's similar to the Buddhist philosphy: "Do not concern yourselvs with the things you cannot change. If you cannot change them, do not worry about them. For what is the use of worrying? All your worrying will change nothing. If you can change something, change it. Do not worry about it, simply change it." Basically: Don't worry about what you can't change and don't complain about what you can change, change it, don't complain.

                                ..........Zack.......... Developer Extraordinaire && Full Time Geek

                                "Don't go out of your way to step on people's toes, but don't stop walking all-together." GCS\P\SS d- s-:- a-- C++$ U--- P--- L- E- W++ N o K-? w+++ O++ !M-- V PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5+ X+ R++ tv++ b++ DI++ D+++ G+>G++++ e* h- r++ y+

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                                • L Lost User

                                  Jamie Hale wrote: What do you do to cope? Once when a wiser older co-worker and myself stumbled upon a screwed up jumble of poorly engineered equipment that we had to fix, I started ranting and raving about it and generally getting all pissed off, he said: "At 80 feet long and weighing over 100 tons the Blue whale is the largest mammal to ever inhabit the earth, yet it's throat opening is no bigger around than yours or mine. There's nothing the whale can do about it. So stop screaming about what 'should be' and hand me a damn wrench." 'nuff said.


                                  Work like you don't need the money.
                                  Love like you've never been hurt.
                                  Dance like nobody's watching.

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                                  Jamie Hale
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #49

                                  A good anecdote - I just don't see how it applies. :) From time to time I have low self-esteem. Are you suggesting that I shouldn't complain about it? Just keep it all to myself? J

                                  "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                                  • M Marc Clifton

                                    Jamie Hale wrote: Anyone else here suffer from this? No. Jamie Hale wrote: What do you do to cope? Go to the mall and watch the people. Instant low self-esteem cure. :-D Marc Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
                                    Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
                                    Every line of code is a liability - Taka Muraoka
                                    Microsoft deliberately adds arbitrary layers of complexity to make it difficult to deliver Windows features on non-Windows platforms--Microsoft's "Halloween files"

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                                    Jamie Hale
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #50

                                    Marc Clifton wrote: Go to the mall and watch the people. Instant low self-esteem cure. :) Thanks for the smile. However... that's part of the problem. One of the things I do to compensate for my low self-esteem is to be critical of others. I've come far enough to realize that this is how I deal with it, and I don't like it. I don't like to be that holier-than-thou person. J

                                    "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                                    • J John M Drescher

                                      I used to for years. Until I learned from women that I am one hell of a catch even though I am not the best looking guy in the world. This will give you confidence and women will notice it. And then what you thought as impossible (finding an attractive woman) becomes easy.... John

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                                      Jamie Hale
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #51

                                      :) I appreciate the input. However, I've been happily married for 5 years now, and have a beautiful daughter. :) Women aren't the problem. Or at least not the major problem. The issue is that I find myself thinking (almost knowing) that I'm better than everyone else. Mostly at my job, but at other things in life too. I don't like this feeling, and attribute it to a lack of self-confidence. I believe I'm a fine catch too. A good husband and a good father. J

                                      "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                                      • J Jamie Hale

                                        A good anecdote - I just don't see how it applies. :) From time to time I have low self-esteem. Are you suggesting that I shouldn't complain about it? Just keep it all to myself? J

                                        "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #52

                                        Jamie Hale wrote: Are you suggesting that I shouldn't complain about it? Low-self esteem is too broad a brush. Try to look for the details. If you're sad that you're too short or too tall. Move on - it can't be changed so there is no point worrying about it. If you're sad that you're too fat or too thin than start doing something about it. It can be changed so make it better. If it's less physical and more "virtual" like: I don't like my housing situation, employment, social life, etc... than it's time to start taking some chances or big moves on the way to self improvement. If it's a general sense of "blah" without any specifics attached that's lasted for more than a few weeks, than I'd see a doctor about low level depression. A few months of Prozac or Paxil might just do the trick. Jamie Hale wrote: Just keep it all to myself? Nope - talking about problems and issues is almost always beneficial, just try not to stress or become depressed about things that cannot change. What's the point?


                                        Work like you don't need the money.
                                        Love like you've never been hurt.
                                        Dance like nobody's watching.

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                                        • M Megan Forbes

                                          I'm pretty sure this is normal for most geekish types :) After 12 years at school knowing very few people with the same interests, it's bound to happen. I'm pretty sure that's why we're all drawn to CP so much - it's a relief to find people we can relate to. I know my body language isn't always "normal", probably due to a poor attempt at hiding shyness. I usually cope with this by making jokes (often out of place). But at the same time, I'm not too bothered if people don't understand me - I like being on my own, it gives me time to think, contemplate and enjoy my own company :) One thing I can suggest, is smile (but not too enthusiastically). Being different from the norm doesn't make someone a nasty person, it just makes them unusual. While I don't mind people misunderstanding me, it would bother me if someone thought I was cruel or uncaring. Don't feel alone :rose: What do you do to cope btw?


                                          To honor you, and your sick games, this smiley ;p will now represent licking chocolate off candy - David Chamberlain

                                          J Offline
                                          J Offline
                                          Jamie Hale
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #53

                                          Megan Forbes wrote: I'm pretty sure this is normal for most geekish types I would bet money on it. :) That's why I asked here. Megan Forbes wrote: it would bother me if someone thought I was cruel or uncaring. Why is this? I have the same problem. In answering this post, I think I've stumbled on another piece of the puzzle. I have been cruel to people throughout my life - hurtful - from time to time, but now I look back and know that I've changed. I have grown substantially in the past few years. When people misinterpret what I say, I worry that they don't see that I'm not that person anymore. Hmmmm. :) Megan Forbes wrote: What do you do to cope btw? This. :) Ponder. I write in my diary. I skip work a lot. I watch Office Space and Fight Club. I put aside all my geek projects (because I lay part of the blame on my inability to do things in moderation). I read. Most of all, I make large changes in my life. Last time I had this big a bout of it, I cancelled cable and went back to dial-up. I had a little bonfire as a symbolic purging of all the things I don't want to be anymore. I wrote many pages each day in my diary - analyzing this and that aspect of my life, trying to find a clue as to what causes this type of mindset. And on and on... It tends to take over. I don't think it's destructive at all. My wife and my mother-in-law get concerned, but I'm not the type to consider suicide or anything that drastic. My home life is wonderful - in fact I'd bet it's my wife and daughter that keep me sane. :) I guess, more than anything, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it is I want out of life. J

                                          "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."

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