mind_gremlins tender_square brené brown has this concept in her writings about the inner critic and how the statements it makes creates mind gremlins. i'm paraphrasing, but it's something like we need to identify the gremlin and see it for what it really is, that there's no truth in what it's saying and/or that the logic is skewed. i guess i'm starting this blathe with the intention of documenting those gremlins, and i invite others to join in too. 230515 ... tender_square "i don't want to spend time with my friends because i have nothing good to talk about." since when is friendship about speaking only to the good things happening in one's life? there is a worry that by owning my shit with others i will be a downer, and that when visiting with others i should be upbeat and entertaining when no one is setting that expectation but me. i possess this gremlin even though i am not someone who wallows in misery, and who tries to find the bright spots in the toughest scenarios. 230515 ... epitome of incomprehensibility I like this terminology. It reminds me of how my dad would call Microsoft Word's spelling and grammar check "gremlins" - except those ones weren't as much of a problem, just sometimes erroneous. My mind gremlins like to exaggerate things: "You're always clueless, especially in contrast to everyone around you. They always know what's going on." 230516 ... ovenbird Mine work hard to keep me silent. They say, “You’re boring and you’re too serious and you talk too much about things no one cares about and no one likes you.” And so I struggle in social situations, especially in large groups, because I’m constantly assessing whether I’m coming off as “weird” and whether people are trying to find a polite way to escape. I’ve gotten at least a little better at challenging my mind gremlins. I tell them that not everyone will like me, and that’s okay. I tell them that it’s better to just be unapologetically myself so that I can connect with people who will appreciate me for who I am. And I tell them that if anyone’s annoying, it’s definitely them. 260706 what's it to you? who go blather from