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Aug 31, 2021 · 1. An overwhelming need to please. One of the main signs of golden child syndrome is the overwhelming need to please parents and/or other authority figures. "They make an extreme effort to appease their parents and satisfy all of their needs," explains Sanam Hafeez, M.D., neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind.
- 10 Signs of The Golden Child Syndrome
- 5 Things to Do About Golden Child Syndrome
- Stay Gold, Ponyboy
1) A worship of authority
Because of growing up in an environment where you always had to follow the rules and live up to a strict ideal, the golden child tends to worship authority. Whether it’s a new government rule or whatever the mainstream consensus is, the golden child is there enforcing and supporting it. Authority figures often find this very useful in workplaces and other situations, where they can use the golden child individual to exert their will and push others into conformity. That’s not always a good th...
2) A crippling fear of failure
The golden child is raised from a young age to believe that their worth is higher than others but is also conditional. In other words, their skills as a gymnast, a computer whizz or a brilliant child model are what matter, not them as an individual. This instills the golden child with a crippling fear of failure. Well into adulthoodthey are obsessed and plagued by the fear that a life situation could come up which proves they are not good enough. That’s because their identity is built around...
3) A harmful approach to romantic relationships
People with golden child syndrome don’t tend to do well in romantic relationships. As you can imagine, believing that you are on another level and holding yourself to stringent standards can lead to some nasty clashes. The golden child sees the world as a place to reflect back their own success and achievements, and that often includes in the romantic department. If that praise and recognition is not forthcoming, they will tend to become despondent, angry or detached… One of the top signs of...
1) Work on yourself first
Golden child syndrome can do years of damage even into adulthood. If you have been left with all this baggage it’s very frustrating and it can feel like you’ll never have healthy romantic or personal relationships in your life. And if you know someone who’s suffering from golden child-related issues, you can give them advice about this, too… That’s because being raised to believe you are special is actually not as special as it sounds. It can lead to so many broken relationships and frustrati...
2) Stop trying to be a good person
Being a good person is pretty exhausting. Thinking you’re more or less a “good person” is also ironically a sign that you’re probably not a very good person. In order to start living life in an authentic and effective way, one of the best things you can do is drop the idea that you hold a certain label. You are a flawed person with amenable and difficult qualities like all the rest of us. You aren’t binary, and you’re not a devil or a saint (as far as I know).
3) Face the nagging feeling of not being good enough
One of the worst parts of golden child syndrome is that the inner reality is so different from the outer appearance. On the outside, the person with golden child syndrome may look self-obsessed, confident and happy. On the inside, however, the golden child sufferer is often beset by deep feelings of inadequacy. He or she doesn’t feel good enough and spends their life chasing a simple desire to be seen as sufficient for who they are by those around them. The saddest thing is that they were rai...
Golden child syndrome isn’t a death sentence. There are kids raised this way who find a way to overcome the patterns they were raised with and see the good in everyone. They can also take steps to begin appreciating themselves for who they are and not for their outer labels. And begin to see that the fear of failure is something that was instilled ...
- Mia Zhang
- 12 min
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Jun 25, 2022 · Work through the sibling rivalry as a result of golden child syndrome: And of course, please be gentle with yourself throughout the process. Change happens best when you are kind to yourself and ...
- Nikhita Mahtani
- 56 sec
- nikhita-mahtani@hearst.com
Sep 19, 2023 · Golden Child Syndrome is a term used to describe a family dynamic where one child is favored or idealized by their parents, often to an extreme extent. This child is typically showered with attention, praise, and resources, while other siblings may feel overlooked or undervalued. Understanding Golden Child Syndrome is crucial for various reasons.
Nov 29, 2022 · Golden Child Syndrome: 8 Characteristics and How to Overcome It. A “golden child” is one who is considered “special” by their family and chosen as a proxy for a parent’s own achievements and magnificence. Unfortunately, the child must live up to perhaps unattainable levels of accomplishment and perfection. Being the golden child does ...
Apr 29, 2024 · Golden child syndrome is a family dynamic where a parent excessively favors one child over their siblings. If you were the golden child in your family, you might struggle with perfectionism, self-esteem issues, or setting boundaries with your parents. Establish healthy boundaries, let go of expectations, and prioritize self-care to help ...
Mar 31, 2023 · What Are Golden Child Syndrome Symptoms? There are often many signs that someone might have golden child syndrome. Some common golden child syndrome characteristics include: Fear – Fears of failure, rejection, and abandonment are probably common issues for golden children. Each of these connects to a fear of not making their parents happy or ...
