All posts tagged: Insecure

You Can Usually Tell How Needy Someone Is By The 11 Phrases They Say In Casual Conversation

You Can Usually Tell How Needy Someone Is By The 11 Phrases They Say In Casual Conversation

Published by Jenni Sidey

Being a needy person doesn’t make you inherently bad as a partner. Especially considering it’s often deep-rooted insecurity and childhood trauma that predicts codependency in relationships, it’s usually more nuanced than we realize. However, it can sabotage relationship satisfaction and connection when it’s not mediated with growth and emotional intelligence over time. While subtle, you can usually tell how needy someone is by the phrases they say in casual conversation. Whether that’s overapologizing or asking “Are you mad at me?” when it’s clear that there’s no hostility, they need reassurance from others to feel secure. You can usually tell how needy someone is by the 11 phrases they say in casual conversation 1. ‘Are you mad at me?’ Premreuthai | Shutterstock While we often think of attention-seeking people as egotistical, sometimes, it’s the most insecure, uncertain people who need the most external praise and encouragement. It’s not to feed their ego, but to craft personal comfort, because they don’t have the regulation skills to do it themselves. They’re constantly checking and double-checking that their relationship …

10 Signs You’re Married To Someone Who Wants An Award For Doing Basic Household Chores

10 Signs You’re Married To Someone Who Wants An Award For Doing Basic Household Chores

Published by Jenni Sidey

You’ve heard of weaponized incompetence, or pretending not to be great at something to get out of doing it, but what about someone who wants praise for cleaning and tidying the home? Worst of all, what if you’re married to someone who wants an award for doing basic household chores and expects constant validation? For many women who bear the burden of most labor, both emotional and tangible, in their marriages with men, it’s a reality. They act not as an equal partner at home, but rather as a parent or guardian, dishing out rewards to someone at home doing the dishes, even if every other night of the week they’re doing them plus a thousand other things. There’s a gap in responsibility, but also in expectation. One person is going above and beyond, and one is lingering in immaturity way too late in life. Here are 10 signs you’re married to someone who wants an award for doing basic household chores 1. They wait until you’re watching them to start cleaning Prostock-studio | Shutterstock Women …

Intense crying in East-Asian infants may reflect cultural norms, not insecure attachment, study suggests

Intense crying in East-Asian infants may reflect cultural norms, not insecure attachment, study suggests

Published by José Betancourt

A study examining cultural characteristics of infants’ behavior found that Korean and Japanese infants cry more when separated from their mothers and left alone in an unfamiliar room, compared to U.S. and Czech children. The paper was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Development. The main theoretical framework in psychology used to explain emotional bonds between humans and their importance throughout life is attachment theory, proposed by John Bowlby in the mid-20th century. According to this theory, emotional attachment patterns begin developing in infancy through interactions between the infant and its caregiver(s). One of the main research procedures for assessing the quality of infants’ attachment to their caregivers is the Strange Situation Procedure. This procedure was developed by Mary Ainsworth, a famous 20th-century attachment researcher, and her colleagues to observe how children use a caregiver as a secure base and how they react to separation and reunion. In this procedure, a child is placed in an unfamiliar room with toys, first with the caregiver present. Then a stranger enters, the caregiver leaves, the child …

Watching Minutes Of Fitness Videos On Social Media Is Enough To Make A Man Feel Insecure

Watching Minutes Of Fitness Videos On Social Media Is Enough To Make A Man Feel Insecure

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s no secret that scrolling social media can have a negative impact on a woman’s body image. But what’s not as widely publicized is that it impacts men, too. A study published in the journal Body Image found that for young men in particular, watching just a few minutes of fitness content on socials can leave them feeling insecure, affecting their mental and emotional well-being. The TikTok content wasn’t just about watching guys lift in a gym, either. It was anything regarding body image, supplements, and overall fitness. Watching less than 3 minutes of fitness videos on social media is enough to make a man feel insecure. Natali Skripnikova | Shutterstock Based on the study’s findings, researchers found that young men scrolling through TikTok who spent less than 3 minutes watching fitness-focused videos felt much less satisfied with their body image. It’s not much different than women watching beauty content, but it speaks to the fact that comparison culture is wreaking havoc on the confidence of anyone who engages with social media, even if it’s …

People Who Truly Love Themselves In Midlife Tend To Let Go Of These 5 Insecurities | Nadine Macaluso

People Who Truly Love Themselves In Midlife Tend To Let Go Of These 5 Insecurities | Nadine Macaluso

Published by Jenni Sidey

Loving yourself in midlife doesn’t happen all at once; it’s something you grow into, often after years of second-guessing yourself, people-pleasing, or carrying around insecurities you didn’t even realize were shaping your life.  Research suggests that learning to truly love yourself is one of the hardest things to do, but people who truly love themselves in midlife have learned to stop letting certain insecurities control how they think and feel. Instead of chasing approval or avoiding discomfort, they start to trust themselves, speak honestly, and let go of the habits that once held them back. Here are the insecurities people who truly love themselves in midlife tend to leave behind. People who truly love themselves in midlife tend to let go of these 5 insecurities: 1. The need to suppress or avoid their emotions Miljan Zivkovic via Shutterstock Recall a time when you felt anger, sadness, or anxiety. You probably felt it in your throat, chest, heart, or stomach — this is the core of your body. A study helped show how you can self-reference by …

‘Deeply insecure’: Why Bangladeshi minorities are scared ahead of elections | Bangladesh Election 2026

‘Deeply insecure’: Why Bangladeshi minorities are scared ahead of elections | Bangladesh Election 2026

Published by Sam Flores

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Sukumar Pramanik, a Hindu teacher in Rajshahi city – about 250km (155 miles) from Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka – says the country’s upcoming national election could be his final test of trust in politics. Electoral periods in Bangladesh have seen spikes in communal and political violence throughout the country’s history, with religious minorities often bearing the brunt amid intense political competition and social tension. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list But since August 2024, and the end of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule, minorities in Bangladesh have felt under siege, with reports of attacks, killings and arson against their property, even though the government insists that most incidents were not motivated by religious hate. That backdrop has intensified fears ahead of the February 12 election, despite efforts by leading political parties to reach out to minority communities. “The leaders of major parties have assured us that we will be safe before and after the vote,” Pramanik said, but faith in politicians runs low in his community at the moment. After the …

Vulnerable narcissism is strongly associated with insecure attachment, study finds

Vulnerable narcissism is strongly associated with insecure attachment, study finds

Published by José Betancourt

A new meta-analysis provides evidence that the quality of emotional bonds formed in adulthood is connected to specific types of narcissism. The findings indicate that insecure attachment styles are strong risk factors for vulnerable narcissism, whereas grandiose narcissism appears largely unrelated to these attachment patterns. This research was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Psychologists classify narcissism into two primary subtypes that share antagonistic traits but differ in their expression. Grandiose narcissism is characterized by extraversion, aggression, and a dominant interpersonal style. Individuals with these traits tend to have an inflated sense of self-importance and often seek to control others. Vulnerable narcissism presents a different profile marked by introversion and high neuroticism. People with high levels of vulnerable narcissism possess a fragile sense of self and are hypersensitive to the opinions of others. They often display a defensive form of grandiosity that masks deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. Narcissistic traits are associated with various negative outcomes in life, particularly within interpersonal relationships. Romantic partnerships involving narcissistic individuals often suffer from a lack of commitment …

If Someone Uses These 11 Phrases When They Talk To You, They’re Usually Ridiculously Insecure

If Someone Uses These 11 Phrases When They Talk To You, They’re Usually Ridiculously Insecure

Published by Jenni Sidey

Insecurity is something we have all felt at some point. Our nagging inner voice tells us we’re not good enough or that we’ll never amount to anything. Sometimes, it can be so overwhelming that it changes the way we interact with the people in our lives. We want to look as cool, calm, and collected as possible, but based on the words we use, people perceive us quite differently than we expect. Whether it’s putting themselves down for not knowing something or over-apologizing, if someone uses these phrases when they talk to you, they’re usually ridiculously insecure. For some, it’s easier to work through those feelings of insecurity; for others, it’s something they constantly struggle to cope with. They feel inadequate and like they’re never smart enough or good enough. When speaking with others, they may try to hide those feelings in ways that can end up being disastrous. Because instead of being upfront about their emotions, they appear as though they know it all as a way to convey a false sense of confidence. …

Trump supporters and insecure men more likely to value a large penis, according to new research

Trump supporters and insecure men more likely to value a large penis, according to new research

Published by José Betancourt

New research published in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinities provides evidence that men who feel insecure about their masculinity are more likely to place a high value on having a large penis. The findings suggest that for some men, the penis serves as a symbol of status and dominance, and the desire for a larger one is partly driven by feelings of humiliation regarding failures to meet social expectations of manhood. Men’s concerns regarding penis size are often treated as a source of amusement in popular culture. Despite the comedic treatment, these preoccupations can have serious negative consequences for men’s mental health, sexual satisfaction, and romantic relationships. Previous observations by historians and scientists have suggested that the human penis functions as an organ of display intended to signal status to other men. The authors of the current study sought to empirically test the psychological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. “For many years, I had noticed that men seemed to have an interest in penis size and to admire large penises. I found it curious …

Insecure attachment is linked to Machiavellian personality traits

Insecure attachment is linked to Machiavellian personality traits

Published by José Betancourt

A new analysis of psychological data suggests that manipulative personality traits may stem from deep-seated insecurities regarding social bonding. Researchers found that individuals who struggle to form secure emotional attachments are more likely to exhibit characteristics associated with Machiavellianism. These findings indicate that dark personality traits may function as defensive mechanisms developed in response to unstable relationships. The study was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. To understand these findings, it is necessary to look at two distinct areas of psychological research. The first area is the concept of Machiavellianism. This construct draws its name from Niccolò Machiavelli and his political philosophy. It represents a personality trait defined by a willingness to manipulate others, a cynical view of human nature, and a belief that the ends justify the means. Psychologists often group Machiavellianism with narcissism and psychopathy under the umbrella of the “Dark Triad.” People with high levels of this trait are often described as having a “cool syndrome.” They tend to detach emotionally from others to maintain control. They view other …