Receiving praise as a child is essential for building confidence, but being excessively praised can sometimes have unintended consequences.
When compliments are constant or over the top, they may shape behaviors and mindsets that linger into adulthood, often in ways that people don’t even realize.
From perfectionism to a fear of failure, these patterns can subtly influence how they navigate relationships, work, and personal growth.
Here are seven common behaviors displayed by adults who were overly praised as children—how many do you recognize?
1) Unrealistic expectations
When children are showered with praise, they often grow up expecting the world to do the same.
This constant validation can create a sense of entitlement.
They might expect things to come easy to them without having to put in much effort.
Because, well, that’s what they’ve been led to believe growing up but—as adults—they quickly realize that life doesn’t hand out trophies for just showing up.
The real world demands hard work, resilience, and accepting that they won’t always be the best.
This can lead to frustration, disappointment and sometimes even a feeling of inadequacy.
But, don’t worry—recognizing this is the first step towards change.
2) Fear of failure
As a child, I was always praised for my achievements, whether big or small.
I was the star in my little universe.
But as I stepped into adulthood, I found myself terrified of making mistakes.
The thought of not living up to expectations, of not being perfect, was paralyzing.
I later realized this fear of failure stemmed from my childhood; the continuous praise had made me believe that I had to be perfect all the time—that making mistakes was not an option.
Many people overly praised as children experience this fear of failure in adulthood.
They fear that making a mistake will shatter the image of perfection they’ve grown accustomed to.
But here’s the thing: Mistakes are part of life and learning as it’s how we grow and improve.
3) Difficulty accepting criticism
Individuals who were overly praised as children often find it tough to accept criticism as adults.
Constructive feedback can feel like a personal attack, triggering defensiveness or even denial—this is largely due to the fact that their self-worth has been tied to praise and validation.
When they receive criticism, it’s seen as a threat to their self-identity.
The reality that they might not be as perfect as they were led to believe can be a hard pill to swallow.
Learning to accept and learn from criticism is a key step towards personal growth and development.
It allows us to see our weaknesses and work on them, rather than living in denial.
4) Dependency on external validation
As adults, those who were consistently over-praised as kids may develop a strong reliance on external validation.
They may seek approval and affirmation from others to feel good about themselves.
This dependency can be traced back to their childhood, when they were constantly given praise and reassurance.
As they grow older, this need for approval doesn’t just go away. Instead, it shifts from parents or guardians to peers, bosses, or romantic partners.
This craving for external validation can limit their ability to feel confident and secure in their own abilities.
It’s important to remember that self-worth should come from within, not from the opinions or approval of others.
Developing self-confidence and self-belief is an essential part of becoming an emotionally healthy adult.
5) Perfectionism
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had this need to make everything perfect.
From my school projects to my work presentations, everything had to be just right—I used to believe this was just a part of who I was until I dug deeper.
As a child, I was overly praised for every little thing. This set a precedent that everything I did had to be perfect to receive the same level of validation.
As an adult, this translated into an unhealthy level of perfectionism.
Many individuals who were overly praised as children often struggle with perfectionism in their adult lives.
They have this internalized belief that they need to be perfect in order to be loved or accepted.
The truth is, no one is perfect—it’s our imperfections that make us human and unique.
Recognizing this can help us let go of the unattainable pursuit of perfection and instead focus on being the best version of ourselves.
6) Struggle with self-doubt
Self-doubt can be a common trait among adults who were overly praised as kids.
They often question their abilities and fear they’re not as competent as others perceive them to be.
This may seem counterintuitive, but the constant praise they received as children may have set an unrealistically high bar for their performance—they worry they can’t live up to these expectations, leading to self-doubt and insecurity.
It’s crucial to understand that everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
Instead of doubting themselves, individuals should focus on their strengths and work on improving their areas of weakness.
Self-belief and confidence can be cultivated with time and practice.
7) Difficulty in handling rejection
Rejection is a part of life, but for adults who were overly praised as children?
Handling rejection can be particularly challenging.
They were raised in an environment where they were constantly told they were the best.
When they face rejection, it clashes with their preconceived notion of themselves.
The key to handling rejection lies in resilience and understanding that it’s a part of life and growth.
It doesn’t define a person’s worth or capabilities as it merely indicates that there’s room for improvement or that they’re yet to find where they truly belong.
The heart of the matter
When we delve into the world of psychology and human behavior, it’s important to remember that no trait or behavior is inherently bad or good.
Being overly praised as a child and displaying these behaviors as adults is not a life sentence as it’s merely a roadmap that shows us where we’ve come from and guides us towards where we need to go.
As adults, we have the power to reassess the messages we internalized as children and redefine our narrative.
It’s about being self-aware, understanding where our behaviors stem from, and taking steps to address them.
Remember, change is possible at any stage of life—change starts with awareness and ends with action.
If you recognized yourself in any of these behaviors, take it as a starting point for introspection and personal growth.
After all, our past shapes us but doesn’t have to define us!
Feeling stuck in self-doubt?
Stop trying to fix yourself and start embracing who you are. Join the free 7-day self-discovery challenge and learn how to transform negative emotions into personal growth.
