how to overcome self-pity

Napoleon Hill referred to self-pity as an opiate. He wrote, “The most insidious problem with drugs is that the human body develops a tolerance for them and requires larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect. The same is true with self-pity. The more you allow yourself to indulge in it, the more you will require.”

It doesn’t take long for self-pity to become a habit, one that is pernicious in all respects.

Whether it be encountering the failure of a promising business initiative, getting overwhelmed by a looming deadline, going through some financial trouble, or witnessing the end of a romantic relationship, throwing a pity party won’t help.

Self-pity is downright destructive and initiates a self-sabotaging cycle that robs us of our initiative, preventing us from living up to our potential. It distances us from our confidence and dignity, keeps us stuck, and makes adversity even more challenging and insurmountable.

And so, stop caging yourself in the negativity loop of self-pity right away before any further damage is done.

Mentally and emotionally strong people don’t let self-pity influence their success and well-being. They devise mechanisms to keep it at bay in all circumstances.

Rather than wallowing in self-pity, use the challenges and hardships that come your way to becoming better, wiser, and stronger. Remember, tough times don’t last, but tough people do.  

The best strategy, in any case, is to take extreme ownership and face the truth that the problems that are driving you to pity yourself are of your own making. Therefore, the best person to come up with a potent solution is the one who you look at every day in the mirror, the one who created them in the first place — you.

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