People- pleasing

I: sounds like a harmless trait, even a virtue: being agreeable, helping others, avoiding conflict.

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After all, who doesn’t want to be liked? But for many, the desire to please everyone else becomes less a matter of kindness and more a pattern that quietly eats away at productivity, self-worth and mental health.

At its core, people pleasing is a behavioural pattern where individuals prioritise others’ needs and approval over their own wellbeing. On the surface it can seem like cooperation or generosity, yet beneath that veneer often lies a compulsion rooted in fear of rejection or conflict avoidance. Over time, constantly bending to others’ expectations takes a psychological toll that is both deep and insidious.