Being prideful or defensive is a sign of immaturity. Being a defensive person is a sign that you can’t handle the words of another person. If someone disagrees with you, you see it as a sign of rejection. This can be a problem in terms of growth because oftentimes and defensive, people aren’t open to learning how to heal this side of themselves.
Growth is rarely comfortable for anyone so choosing the path of change and growth is going to be hard for a defensive or immature person. Yet, it’s necessary if you want to heal yourself and get passed this phase. Read on for a few tips on how to let go of your defensiveness and grow as a person!
Listen to Those Around You- It’s never easy learning that you’ve got a character flaw, but those who love you only want the best from you. Instead of fearing their rebuke, accept it, and listen to it. To give you more insight, check out this quote from the bible: “Rebuke a wise man and he will love you for it. But a fool despises correction.” To help you, request some correction from those that you love the most.
Learn The Value of Your Flaws- You’re not perfect. In fact, no one is. Take a moment to learn a little bit about yourself. Realize that your flaws are a part of you and try to figure out why you’re defensive. When you give yourself some insight on why you are the way that you are, you’re more able to control your behavior.
Accept Invulnerability- With change comes invulnerability. You’re going to have to accept this as you try and grow out of your defensive state. You need to be willing to own those parts of you that conflict you. Embrace correction, rather than reject it, learn from it and move on.