Positivity in social interactions is wonderful, and giving compliments can have a beautiful impact on those around you. However, it’s important to ensure that your eagerness to make others happy doesn’t lead to neglecting your own needs. If you believe that constantly sacrificing for others in the hope of earning their love and respect is the way to go, you are mistaken. This behavior can lead to losing those you are trying to please. Let’s discuss the signs, causes, and issues related to this behavior, and how to overcome it.
Here are some signs that shows that you are a people pleaser.
- Agreeing with everything and finding it difficult to say no to others; feeling guilty when she does.
- Fear of the anger of those around you or feeling that you do not care about them.
- Prefer giving over receiving, even if it affects your comfort.
- Always apologizing even when it is not necessary.
- Putting your needs and desires away from your priorities because you are preoccupied with the feelings of others.
- You can’t stand disagreements between people even if they aren’t close to you.
- Fear of showing your true feelings and not recognizing your negative emotions so that others will not be upset.
- Being cautious about avoiding and evading disputes, as doing so may lead you to accept something you don’t want.
Why do we seek to please others?
The fear of rejection, the fear of others knowing your true personality, low self-esteem, a belief that you are not socially appropriate, a desire to appear strong and capable, and a feeling of being threatened just because someone is angry with you, all contribute to a deep longing to be loved and accepted by others. But unfortunately, while you only seek to be loved others take advantage of you because they know you will do anything to please them, changing your behavior and personality when seeking to please them, leading to constant physical exhaustion due to fulfilling the desires of others at the expense of your comfort, damaging your self-esteem and engaging in actions that may be against your convictions and principles, reaching the point of not knowing yourself and your desires or choosing the best for you or what makes you happy, wasting your life to make the lives of others better, while psychological exhaustion is due to hiding your true feelings, suppressing your feelings, and not showing your anger, as others get used to your comfortable dealings and constant sacrifices, always waiting for appreciation and praise from them.
So here are some behaviors to get rid of pleasing others
- Reject what bothers you constantly and realize your rejection does not make you selfish.
- Treat yourself with love and respect and understand that you can accept or reject.
- Pay attention to what you do and say and try to analyze why and when you start apologizing.
- Be yourself with others and do not make excuses or explain your decisions.
- Be clear about your inability to help while understanding the needs of others.
- Recognize your differences as an individual, respect your interests and opinions, and be aware that disagreements between people are unavoidable.
- Learn the skills of counteracting your manipulators or exploiters.
- Stop committing yourself to what others expect.
- Be aware that you don’t control other people’s happiness.
- Acknowledge your negative feelings and don’t put on the mask of happiness in front of others.
- Be aware of your limits and know your abilities, values, and rights, and avoid anyone exceeding them.
- Set a time limit to help someone without negatively impacting your own time and comfort.
- Negotiate when making decisions within your boundaries to make your voice heard and reach a point of agreement.
Finally, be present and visible as an individual because you have unique qualities that set you apart from others. It’s important not to hide your uniqueness or try to conform to other people’s expectations. Focus on developing good manners, emotional intelligence, and strong relationships. Learn to respectfully express disagreement and empathize with others without belittling them. Don’t waste your life trying to please others, as life is too short to live according to others’ expectations. Whether others accept you is their decision, not yours.