Carolyn Hax: A bright child grows into an adult who can’t handle failure or criticism

Among other life consequences, this gave me a sense that I was fundamentally bad, because I squandered the immense talents I was born with. So if someone says to me, “Look at what you accomplished,” I consider it trivial compared to everything I should have accomplished. If I do a good deed, I don’t give myself credit because “I’m just doing it to make myself feel better.” If someone thanks me for something, I reply graciously, but I tell myself, “They’re saying that because they’re a nice person, not because they’re actually grateful.” And if I get mad at myself because I beat up on myself all the time, that proves I’m bad because a good person wouldn’t get mad.