Defusing the Critic

You cannot silence the inner critic through force. Arguing gives it airtime. The effective approach is defusion — reducing the critic's authority without engaging in debate.

Add a prefix. Instead of "I am not good enough," say "I am having the thought that I am not good enough." This tiny shift separates you from the thought.

Thank the critic. "Thanks for trying to protect me — I do not need that right now." Acknowledging the voice takes its edge off without handing it control.