The Wood 2009 paradox — why affirmations backfire for the people who need them most
In 2009, three psychologists found that the affirmation 'I am a lovable person' made people with low self-esteem feel worse, not better. It's one of the most important and least-known findings in self-help. Here's what the study actually showed, why it happens, and the conditional phrasing that fixes it.
