We are not born doubting ourselves. We learn to do it. In fact, we are usually taught to doubt ourselves. We can learn some ways that allow us to become more accepting of ourselves. Following are two behaviors that might explain the reasons why you can’t move towards greater self-acceptance.
One thing that might cause you not to accept yourself is over-generalizing about something you've done that you don’t like．For example, if you fail a test you might generalize and say, “I’m really a stupid person.” When you do this you are making a statement about all of you all of the time and not just about this one situation at this time. Instead, you might decide that your grade on this test in this subject at this time was indeed poor, and then go on to decide what you want to do about your poor grade, if anything. Getting stuck in over-generalizing discourages you from taking steps that might allow you to do better on the next exam and to build an expectation of future failure.
Having standards that are impossibly high is a second way you can not accept yourself. It may not come as a surprise to you that most of us are more demanding of ourselves than we are of others. Somehow we can tolerate the fact that other people fail, that they aren’t always kind, that they’ve done things they aren’t proud of, but we have difficulty accepting those very human aspects of ourselves. The need to be perfect is another way to set yourself up for failure and enhance the feeling that you are not acceptable. We all make mistakes. Accepting less than perfection simply means recognizing the limitations natural in being born a human being. Learn to value who you are rather than who you could become. Wouldn’t it be overpowering if we always had to do what we imagine we could do? Nobody has the time and energy to do all of that. We must make choices about what we will pursue and do them the best we can under the circumstances, which aren’t always ideal, by the way.
60．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. We can feel that we are perfect when we set ourselves up for success.
B. We can tolerate the fact that we’ve done things we aren’t proud of.
C. Over-generalizing might encourage you to expect the future.
D. Over-generalizing might cause you not to accept yourself.
61．What is the author’s attitude according to the passage?
A. It’s necessary for people to be perfect.
B. It’s acceptable for people to be imperfect.
C. It’s strange for people to be born with limitation.
D. It’s possible for people to do what they imagine.
62．What has caused the lack of self-acceptance?
A. Tolerance and high-level.
B. Limitation and expectation.
C. Over-generalization and high-standard.
D. Extreme difficulty and complete failure.
