The inner critic is a way of naming harsh, judging or discouraging self-talk, especially when it arrives as though it already knows what other people will think.
"Don’t embarrass yourself."
"Who do you think you are?"
"A serious person would have done this by now."
It is not renowned for its bedside manner.
What is the criticism trying to prevent?
Perhaps a mistake. Rejection. Looking inexperienced. Wanting something enough that disappointment would hurt.
Understanding the concern doesn’t mean accepting the insult as useful instruction. "Check the figures" is actionable. "You’re hopeless" mainly makes checking the figures harder.
I AWAKE’s Creative Hero’s Journey explores the judgement surrounding making and sharing. Its book I’m Done Asking, in the realm Permission, gives attention to the imagined audience you may consult before anyone has actually seen the work.
You don’t have to answer every attack with extravagant praise. A more useful response might be: "I can learn this without insulting myself."
Self-criticism examines the habit more closely. Feedback helps distinguish information that improves the work from a verdict that silences the person making it.
Dan P. McAdams’s Self and Identity, published by Noba, looks at how roles and personal stories shape a sense of self. It offers context for asking whose standards have become part of your own account of who you are.