Why Do We Make Excuses When We Fail?
🎯 Why You Set Yourself Up to Fail (And How to Stop) 🎯
Ever stay up all night before a big test on purpose just so you could blame your failure on being tired — and not on being “dumb”? Yeah… been there, done that. It’s called self-handicapping, and it’s your ego’s sneaky little defense mechanism.
👉 “I didn’t fail because I’m not smart. I was just tired.” Sound familiar?
This twisted form of self-sabotage gives you a safety net for your pride… but here’s the punch to the gut: 🧠 A 2020 study in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making found that this ego-protection trick destroys your performance, ruins relationships, and wrecks your mental health.
So next time you create an excuse to fail — procrastinating, picking fights, blowing off opportunities — just know: It’s not bad luck. It’s YOU setting landmines in your own life.
But the good news? You can stop. Start owning it, drop the excuses, and give yourself a real shot at success.
Let’s get out of our own damn way.
This video is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.
About Michael
I'm Michael, a mental health creator, recovered alcoholic, future therapist, and the host of Sober Psychology. After realizing how much of the traditional mental health conversation misses the mark, I decided to build a space dedicated to raw, unfiltered self-examination and personal healing. My approach combines psychological principles with brutal honesty and hard truths, cutting through the noise to help people navigate their own growth. No toxic positivity, no hidden shame—just real conversations about what it actually takes to heal.