Whether in the workplace or in family life, men are often seen as bold, decisive, and confident, while women tend to be more cautious, reserved, and hesitant. Women often criticize themselves before others even have the chance. We’d rather reject ourselves first than risk presenting something that might be rejected by others. One of the reasons behind this is that we care too much about what others think of us, allowing our emotions to become closely tied to others’ responses to our performance. In doing so, we hand over control of our emotions and the right to judge our own worth, reducing ourselves to a completely passive position.