Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson Ep. 25: How to Feel "Like a Good Person"
Jul 2, 2018
Feeling like a good person can be unexpectedly challenging. Cultural messages, shame, and comparison often cloud our self-perception. Discover the benefits of embracing your inner goodness, which can lead to reduced self-medication and increased generosity. Strategies to cultivate this feeling include compassion for yourself and recognizing everyday good intentions. Dive into the balance between top-down beliefs and bottom-up feelings for a more authentic self-view.
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Innate Goodness As A Reliable Refuge
- Recognizing a core of innate goodness provides a steady refuge amid mistakes and ups and downs.
- Knowing you're basically good lets you draw on that trust regardless of external treatment.
Culture Shapes Sense Of Worth
- Cultural messages shape whether people feel worth is innate or contingent on achievement.
- In some cultures people already assume basic goodness while others tie worth to performance.
Childhood Messages And A Personal Shift
- Rick recalls clients hearing horrible childhood messages like "You're just a bad person," which leave deep wounds.
- He also describes his own middle-age revelation that he was "basically a good person."
