 Do you find yourself constantly comparing your life with others? If you're avidly checking up on old classmates, your ex, or even your friends on Instagram or Facebook, let's be real here. Are you really just curious, or does it come from a dark place of self-doubt? It's normal to get insecure every once in a while, but when it's on overdrive, it can destroy you. Here are 10 signs insecurities are ruining your life. 1. You're a perfectionist. Are you a straight-A student, president of your school's debate club, juggling three other extracurricular activities, and still make time to hit the gym, eat kale, and finish that extra credit assignment? On paper, you look polished, dedicated, and more than capable. But if you're only doing all these tasks to maintain your image more than as an act of fulfillment, it prevents yourself from living honestly. 2. You're highly competitive. When people are insecure, they have a tendency to one-up others. It's hard for them to be happy for other people's success when it makes them feel inferior, so they try to make up for it and treat everything like one big competition. Step down from the social ladder. Practice gratitude, and appreciate other people's accomplishments the same way you appreciate your own. 3. You boast about your accomplishments. It's normal to brag when you go in for a job interview, but if you're always trying to impress others with your certifications, the clothes that you wear, or the car that you drive, something's not right. Your success should speak for itself. Remember, you're not what you say. You're what you do. 4. You get offended easily. Do you take things personally, even if the other person was just providing constructive feedback? It's okay to be sensitive, but when you're always quick to put your walls up, it makes it hard for people to help you, or even enjoy being around you for that matter. 5. You also offend others. It's one thing to feel attacked, but it's another thing to do the attacking. Have you been lashing out at others or been putting them down? If this is what you resort to in order to feel superior, you're only being rude and unapproachable. 6. You avoid commitment. Insecure people have a habit of ruining perfectly good relationships with others. If you've been keeping someone at arm's length or avoiding the what are we conversation, you're not just signing up for miscommunication, you're hurting someone who deserves a straightforward answer. On the contrary, you may also depend on your partner too much, wanting to feel desired but refusing to commit. 7. You feel a need to please others. Are you quick to help others before putting your own health first? There's a fine line between being kind and overextending yourself. Insecurity often causes the individual to feel as though their lives do not belong to them. Consequently, they may lose themselves further by fulfilling other people's happiness. This can easily cause you to feel resentment. Remember, you have more control than you think. 8. You live on social media more than in the present. Taking photos so you can look back on them one day is great. But are you constantly updating your Instagram instead of living in the moment? When you're preoccupied with your online reputation, how many likes you get and being in the spotlight, you grow dependent on being noticed and seek validation from others. 9. You constantly think about what you don't have. When your insecurities build up over time, you may be prone to developing anxiety and depression. Telling yourself you're not good enough can cause you to believe you're not worthy of having friends, so you begin to retreat, which is a common symptom of these mental disorders. 10. You run away from your potential. Do you live more in your imagination than in reality? Insecurity has a habit of robbing us of our opportunities to grow. You might have talents, brains, and skills to achieve your dreams, but what holds you back are your fears. Instead of moving past the fear of failure, you might just share your ideas with people to get some sort of praise, but they'll never get to see you actualize them. What insecurities are you struggling with right now? We're all ears. Let us know in the comments down below. For more helpful content, please be sure to also subscribe to our channel. Thanks for watching.