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🧿 Psychology
Are you sabotaging yourself?
Identify your self-defeating behavior patterns.
Rate each statement 1 (never) to 5 (very often). Think about your patterns over the past year.
1I procrastinate on important tasks even though I know the consequences.
2When things start going well, I get anxious or do something to mess it up.
3I set goals but don't follow through, even when I have the ability.
4I engage in habits I know are bad for me (overeating, overspending, doom-scrolling).
5I pick fights or push people away when relationships get close.
6I talk negatively about myself, even as a "joke."
7I avoid opportunities because I'm afraid of failure (or success).
8I don't speak up for myself, then feel resentful later.
9I make excuses to avoid trying my hardest (so failure hurts less).
10I repeat the same mistakes in relationships, work, or health.
The psychology of self-sabotage
Self-sabotage is behavior that undermines your own goals despite conscious intentions. Research from CBT (Beck 1976) and self-handicapping theory (Berglas & Jones 1978) explains why we sabotage ourselves.
Score interpretation
- 10-18: Minimal self-sabotage — you follow through on your intentions
- 19-28: Normal — occasional self-defeating patterns
- 29-38: Significant — recurring patterns that hold you back
- 39-50: Chronic — deeply entrenched self-sabotaging behavior
Why we sabotage ourselves
- Self-handicapping (Berglas & Jones 1978): Creating obstacles so failure has an excuse
- Fear of success: Success means higher expectations and possible exposure (ties to impostor syndrome)
- Low distress tolerance: Choosing short-term comfort over long-term gain
- Cognitive dissonance: Behavior aligns with your self-concept — if you believe you'll fail, you ensure it
- Strongly correlated with low self-esteem, perfectionism, and avoidant attachment
- CBT is the most effective treatment — identifying and restructuring automatic thoughts
Sources: Berglas & Jones (1978, self-handicapping), Beck (1976, CBT), Baumeister & Scher (1988), Psychological Bulletin.