It’s impossible to “feel stupid.”
“Stupid” is simply not a feeling.
Stupidity is a judgement, an evaluation. It entails a comparison to a standard. It is a calculation based on expectations tied to values.
It is not a physical sensation.
So stop saying you feel stupid. Untangle the webs of emotion and reason. A more precise statement might be, “I feel upset because I think I’m stupid,” or “I feel overwhelmed because I think I’m stupid,” or “I feel remorseful because I think I’m stupid.”
Other common examples of misidentified feelings:
“I feel insulted.” No, you feel appalled and angry because you think the comment was insulting.
“I feel manipulated.” No, you feel perturbed or unsettled because you think a person is manipulating you.”
“I feel valuable.” No, you feel elated or confident because you think you are valuable.
This aptly and crucially separates feelings from thoughts. When you do the untangling, you can observe the facts and analyze the validity of the thought/judgement.
Maybe you’re stupid. Or, maybe you’re a fallible human. Maybe, you made a single error, and you’re actually smart, because you’re going to learn from that error.
Inventory your feelings and empower yourself.
Put a space between stimulus and response.
