This response is eroding your confidence...

It starts small.

Maybe you’re in a conversation and you offer up a new idea or bit of information - something you read, something you noticed. Instead of curiosity, you’re met with... a wall. Defensive energy. Maybe even a condescending “Well, actually…”

At first, you brush it off. Not everyone can handle being corrected. Not everyone is in a space to learn. But the pattern keeps happening. With certain people - maybe even just one person - they always need to be right. They always need to know "the most" and over time, it changes how you show up.

You start shrinking.

You stop offering your thoughts unless you're absolutely sure you’re correct (and let’s be real, who ever is?).
You hesitate before sharing a new idea.
You question your instincts.
You start to assume that everyone around you must already know what you know - and more.
So what’s the point of saying anything?

It’s a quiet erosion and it can spill into everything. Work, friendships, creativity, even how you talk to yourself.

The kind of people that give this response are everywhere, and to my detriment, I've known a lot of them. I've let them erode my sense of self.

But here’s the truth that’s easy to forget when you’ve been put in that “less than” role for too long:

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to say something valuable.

You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need a fact-checked thesis before speaking up.
Your perspective matters, even if it’s new. Even if it’s uncertain. Even if someone else already “knows” it.
As long as you're not stating opinion as fact, being harmful, or claiming to know everything yourself. You're totally fine.

Here’s how we can begin to climb out of that space:

1. Notice the voices in your head — and where they came from.

Sometimes we absorb someone else’s need to be right as our own shame. When you catch yourself thinking, “They probably already know this, so why bother?” - pause.

Ask: Who taught me to believe my voice isn’t valuable unless it’s the smartest one in the room?

A parent? An ex boyfriend? A current girlfriend? 

Just naming it can take away some of its power.

2. Surround yourself with curiosity, not competition.

We can’t always control who we have to interact with, but we can seek out people and spaces that value curiosity and growth. People who say, “Oh, I didn’t know that — tell me more!”

When someone lights up at your input instead of shutting it down, it’s healing. It’s re-training your nervous system to expect warmth, not war.

And hey — you bloody deserve that.

3. Understand that reactions like “I knew that already” can sting — and they add up.

It might seem harmless.
“Oh yeah, I saw that.”
“I already knew that.”
“Yeah, it’s old news.”

But when you hear those kinds of responses often enough, especially from people you admire or trust, it chips away at your sense of worth. You stop sharing. You stop feeling like you can bring anything new or exciting to the table.

Do you ever notice yourself doing this to others? 

Even if you did already know what the other person said, you can still respond with kindness instead of dismissal:

🌼 “That’s so cool — I love that you noticed it!”
🌼 “Wow, yeah! It’s such a fun fact, isn’t it?”
🌼 “Ooh I did know that, but I love how you explained it.”

Especially for kids. Let me just say that again for the people in the back - especially for kids.

Honestly, for the little kid that still lives in all of us — those moments of being heard and appreciated are everything. They’re the difference between learning to speak up… or learning to stay silent.

Sometimes saying, “Wow, I didn’t know that!” — even if it’s not 100% true — is a small act of love. You're not lying to deceive. You're choosing kindness over ego. You’re saying, "Your excitement matters more than my need to be right."

4. Remember: sharing isn’t about proving.

You’re not responsible for making sure your ideas impress people.
You’re not on trial every time you open your mouth.
You’re allowed to say “I think,” “I noticed,” and not follow it up with a perfectly cited source, or over-explanation.

Connection starts where perfection ends.

5. Practice saying things out loud. Even the small stuff.

In low-stakes places — a group chat, a comment section, a conversation with a trusted friend - get used to speaking up again. Not to educate. Not to prove. Just to exist.

Just to let your thoughts take up space in the world again.

Even “Did you know baby rabbits are called kittens?” counts. (Because… they are. And it’s adorable.)

6. Validate yourself the way you needed others to.

When the defensiveness of others has taught us to silence ourselves, part of the healing is giving ourselves the permission they never did.

Try saying things like:

• “That was a thoughtful insight.”

• “I’m proud of myself for contributing.”

• “Even if someone knew it already, that doesn’t make my input worthless.”

You don’t need to wait for someone else to make your words feel welcome.

You’re not alone in this.

So many of us have been quietly convinced that our voices only matter if we’re the most informed, the most correct, the most unshakably confident. And even then, some people will still allow their ego to take over and try to claim they are right. That's on them, not you.

But the world doesn’t need more perfection. It needs more people like you — curious, kind, willing to grow, and finally starting to take up space again.

Your voice is worth hearing.
Even when it's a whisper.
Even when it's unsure.
Even when someone else already said it louder.

You still matter.