Hi Mr S, although you haven't written about your family background in this thread you have written about them (& your father particularly) in other threads. It seems you were brought up with a lot of external criticism that was unbalanced by positive praise. Like any child you absorbed these messages and now the criticism is self directed and internal too. Know the reasons why you are feeling this way - it is a pattern which was taught to you at a young age.

Next time a self-critical thought comes into your head try holding it a moment, acknowledging it and then replying inwardly.

For example you may think "I am not smart like he is" - so then think about it and you might decide "Yes he is smart, I admire that about him". Then think a bit about yourself, and this may be tricky but try to be fair and kind to yourself - a good reply might be something like - "I did well educationally, I put a lot of hard work into my studies."

It requires a great deal of practice for some of us to be kind to ourselves (and many of us were told off for boasting when we were children so self-praise is often counter-intuitive), so don't be disheartened if you struggle. You do have many positive traits, you just have to look for them, nurture them and not be afraid to acknowledge them.