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Do You Cringe Over Your Past Behaviour?
I absolutely hate that feeling. A cringy memory barges into your mind, like an unwelcome guest, and your thoughts dive down a rabbit hole.
Yesterday, I was on the train coming home, and an old memory popped into my head just like this.
I cringed, I dwelled, and I over-analysed. Then I spent some time kicking myself about what an idiot I was back then, and how I’d handle myself differently today.
This happens in my head a lot, the cringy memories. Maybe it’s the same for you?
Usually they leave me feeling bad for days. But this time, I had a different thought.
It occurred to me why it’s really good that I can look back and cringe.
It’s all evidence of growth
Cringing and feeling shame over our past behaviours is evidence that we have grown.
If I looked back over my life and saw nowhere that I could have improved, then I wouldn’t have truly been living.
The human experience is all about learning and growth. It’s also about learning to admit when we were wrong, and not letting our ego run too wild.
