I'm 32, I got laid off last December and STRUGGLING with finding a job in my field. I have nearly 7 experience, and getting less traction than when I was 22 straight out of school. How can it be that hard!!
I am 32 and I was reflecting about this today, and why I feel that I have no confidence is because growing up I never felt like I measured up to my mom and dad's success.
My dad and my mom both came from families with modest means, but they were top of their class, and they were the first people in their family to ever go to college, and they had successful careers. My dad was a very successful businessman in the 90s and was once one of the wealthiest man in the city I was born in, he was likeable, and a risk-taker in business, my mom was smart, calm, and well-spoken and went into academia and later became a professor at a university.
Growing up I felt my mom and dad were my role model, and not only did I want to live up to their standards but wanted to exceed it. I had these fantasies of becoming famous, wealthy, or influential. I wanted to be a successful businessman as well or someone famous, or a professional athlete.
But in reality, I was really a kid who struggled with everything, school, athletics, social skills. I the exact opposite of my mom and dad. I was a C student, I was not good at sports, I wasn't popular nor did I have many friends. I was emotional and sensitive to failure and criticism, and had no confidence, I would easily give up on things without trying. I struggled with motivation, and consistency, and I couldn't pay attention.
Yet later on in life I tried to remedy these things, and I had some success. My grades got better in high school and I went to college as well, I found an ok paying job after, my social skills improved and I started to have a bigger circle of friends, I went to the gym religiously and physically got stronger as well.
But yet after all these years and all these things, I still felt that I am a loser at 32 years old and that I can't do what others can. That I don't have it in me to handle difficult things, to handle adversity, to solve problems, and everything I accomplished is insignificant and a result of dumb luck rather than my own resilience or effort.
Does anyone feel the same? Can you share how you got over this? Thanks.
Also FYI, my mom is a loving person and always supported me in my choices and struggles. My dad I know he feels disappointed that at 32, I never turned out to be what he wished I would become. I don't blame him for it, at the end of the day, I am who I am.
Also, I lost my job a couple months ago and really struggling find a new one. That's why I've been thinking about my past and trying to work on my confidence to get another job.
I was reflecting about this today, and why I feel that I have no confidence is because growing up I never felt like I measured up to my mom and dad's success.
My dad and my mom both came from families with modest means, but they were top of their class, and they were the first people in their family to ever go to college, and they had successful careers. My dad was a very successful businessman in the 90s and was once one of the wealthiest man in the city I was born in, he was likeable, and a risk-taker in business, my mom was smart, calm, and well-spoken and went into academia and later became a professor at a university.
Growing up I felt my mom and dad were my role model, and not only did I want to live up to their standards but wanted to exceed it. I had these fantasies of becoming famous, wealthy, or influential. I wanted to be a successful businessman as well or someone famous, or a professional athlete.
But in reality, I was really a kid who struggled with everything, school, athletics, social skills. I the exact opposite of my mom and dad. I was a C student, I was not good at sports, I wasn't popular nor did I have many friends. I was emotional and sensitive to failure and criticism, and had no confidence, I would easily give up on things without trying. I struggled with motivation, and consistency, and I couldn't pay attention.
Yet later on in life I tried to remedy these things, and I had some success. My grades got better in high school and I went to college as well, I found an ok paying job after, my social skills improved and I started to have a bigger circle of friends, I went to the gym religiously and physically got stronger as well.
But yet after all these years and all these things, I still felt that I am a loser at 32 years old and that I can't do what others can. That I don't have it in me to handle difficult things, to handle adversity, to solve problems, and everything I accomplished is insignificant and a result of dumb luck rather than my own resilience or effort.
Does anyone feel the same? Can you share how you got over this? Thanks.
Also FYI, my mom is a loving person and always supported me in my choices and struggles. My dad I know he feels disappointed that at 32, I never turned out to be what he wished I would become. I don't blame him for it, at the end of the day, I am who I am.
Also, I lost my job a couple months ago and really struggling find a new one. That's why I've been thinking about my past and trying to work on my confidence to get another job.
I was reflecting about this today, and why I feel that I have no confidence is because growing up I never felt like I measured up to my mom and dad's success.
My dad and my mom both came from families with modest means, but they were top of their class, and they were the first people in their family to ever go to college, and they had successful careers. My dad was a very successful businessman in the 90s and was once one of the wealthiest man in the city I was born in, he was likeable, and a risk-taker in business, my mom was smart, calm, and well-spoken and went into academia and later became a professor at a university.
Growing up I felt my mom and dad were my role model, and not only did I want to live up to their standards but wanted to exceed it. I had these fantasies of becoming famous, wealthy, or influential. I wanted to be a successful businessman as well or someone famous, or a professional athlete.
But in reality, I was really a kid who struggled with everything, school, athletics, social skills. I the exact opposite of my mom and dad. I was a C student, I was not good at sports, I wasn't popular nor did I have many friends. I was emotional and sensitive to failure and criticism, and had no confidence, I would easily give up on things without trying. I struggled with motivation, and consistency, and I couldn't pay attention.
Yet later on in life I tried to remedy these things, and I had some success. My grades got better in high school and I went to college as well, I found an ok paying job after, my social skills improved and I started to have a bigger circle of friends, I went to the gym religiously and physically got stronger as well.
But yet after all these years and all these things, I still felt that I am a loser at 32 years old and that I can't do what others can. That I don't have it in me to handle difficult things, to handle adversity, to solve problems, and everything I accomplished is insignificant and a result of dumb luck rather than my own resilience or effort.
Does anyone feel the same? Can you share how you got over this? Thanks.
Also FYI, my mom is a loving person and always supported me in my choices and struggles. My dad I know he feels disappointed that at 32, I never turned out to be what he wished I would become. I don't blame him for it, at the end of the day, I am who I am.
Also, I lost my job a couple months ago and really struggling find a new one. That's why I've been thinking about my past and trying to work on my confidence to get another job.
I was reflecting about this today, and why I feel that I have no confidence is because growing up I never felt like I measured up to my mom and dad's success.
My dad and my mom both came from families with modest means, but they were top of their class, and they were the first people in their family to ever go to college, and they had successful careers. My dad was a very successful businessman in the 90s and was once one of the wealthiest man in the city I was born in, he was likeable, and a risk-taker in business, my mom was smart, calm, and well-spoken and went into academia and later became a professor at a university.
Growing up I felt my mom and dad were my role model, and not only did I want to live up to their standards but wanted to exceed it. I had these fantasies of becoming famous, wealthy, or influential. I wanted to be a successful businessman as well or someone famous, or a professional athlete.
But in reality, I was really a kid who struggled with everything, school, athletics, social skills. I the exact opposite of my mom and dad. I was a C student, I was not good at sports, I wasn't popular nor did I have many friends. I was emotional and sensitive to failure and criticism, and had no confidence, I would easily give up on things without trying. I struggled with motivation, and consistency, and I couldn't pay attention.
Yet later on in life I tried to remedy these things, and I had some success. My grades got better in high school and I went to college as well, I found an ok paying job after, my social skills improved and I started to have a bigger circle of friends, I went to the gym religiously and physically got stronger as well.
But yet after all these years and all these things, I still felt that I am a loser at 32 years old and that I can't do what others can. That I don't have it in me to handle difficult things, to handle adversity, to solve problems, and everything I accomplished is insignificant and a result of dumb luck rather than my own resilience or effort.
Does anyone feel the same? Can you share how you got over this? Thanks.
Also FYI, my mom is a loving person and always supported me in my choices and struggles. My dad I know he feels disappointed that at 32, I never turned out to be what he wished I would become. I don't blame him for it, at the end of the day, I am who I am.
Also, I lost my job a couple months ago and really struggling find a new one. That's why I've been thinking about my past and trying to work on my confidence to get another job.
Hi I hope everyone is doing well,
I've noticed a specific thinking pattern that has held me back for most of my life and causes intense anxiety and lack of motivation.
When there's a potential for a life-changing bad outcome (even if the risk is not super high, even if there is no evidence that has happened to anyone else, even if it's purely theoretical) my mind short-circuits and treats it as 100% certain.
Keep in mind I'm not someone who cannot cope with uncertainty in most situations, only situations where I imagine or there is theoretical or possible life changing bad outcome.
When this happens, I cannot think rationally anymore, my emotions are so intense I sometimes say and do rash things which are opposite of helpful or I completely lose all motivation because I view it as futile to try anymore.
A coping mechanism for me is to ruminate for hours or days on end, until I can come up with a coherent theory that convinces myself that it won't happen.
Does anyone else experience this? If so were you able to overcome it, and how?
Backstory I used to work at a fintech company that isn’t exactly a household name, it’s been rough getting interviews because it’s a startup no one had heard before. Is there anything i can do? My experience is fine and I’ve used every trick in the book to communicate it well. But I really think the name of the company is holding me back. What can i do?
Anyone who went thru canadian education system from the early 2000s know how much effort teachers and schools put into anti racism and multiculturalism, yet in 2026 the amount of racist comments online are much much much worse than the 2000s.
You would think with so much education and effort, canada as a country would have rooted racism fully.
Why do you think this is the case? Gen Z is supposed to be the least racist generation and yet that’s not panning true.
Yes i’m fully aware ppl feel poorer in 2026 than in 2000, but that doesn’t make racism the logical outlet for complaining about the economy. You would imagine if the anti racism education was successful people would complain about the gov instead of blaming immigrants for mismanaging the economy.
Had two interviews for a product role in past week or so with different companies, and every time I spent hours prepping, and then when I go in, they ask questions that are completely different from what I prepared for. So I wasted time prepping for it. I tried to prepare by running the JD thru Claude or Chatgpt, and getting it to guess what questions the will ask, not one time has it gotten even remotely correct except "tell me about yourself".
Is preparing for interviews a waste of time?