In our journey of understanding the inner critic archetypes from my book Women Rising, we’ve already encountered patterns that mirror our deepest fears and insecurities, and the pressures we face from the world around us. This exploration, as seen in the first three posts, is all about naming and navigating these inner critic voices—the archetypes that often run our inner dialogue, holding us back or leaving us feeling “less than.” Each archetype reflects specific themes, such as self-doubt, comparison, or the drive for external validation, and by recognising them, we can move toward a path of self-compassion and empowerment.

Today, we continue with three more archetypes: the comparer, the good girl, and the overachiever. The comparer is always looking at other people to judge her sense of self-worth, always coming up short. The good girl, shaped by a need to “do the right thing,” is driven by compliance and the pursuit of approval, often at her own expense. In contrast, the overachiever ties her self-worth to success and productivity, constantly moving from one accomplishment to the next without stopping to rest or appreciate her journey.

Each of these archetypes sheds light on the ways societal and personal expectations shape our lives—and how, through self-awareness, we can........

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