We all got called out for something when we were little. But if every report card, art project, and scraped knee brought a fresh round of “Why can’t you just…?”, the echoes don’t always fade with age. Over time, relentless childhood criticism can shape the lens through which we see ourselves—and the world. Drawing from my years crunching numbers in finance (where performance reviews could feel like pop quizzes on self-worth) and the countless late-night conversations I’ve had with coaching clients, I’ve noticed nine patterns that keep showing up in adults who grew up under a magnifying glass.
