Hi, this is going to sound strange, but I need to get this off my chest. I’m a 35 year-old guy named Will, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with how I see myself. Every time I look in the mirror, all I see are my flaws—things I hate but can’t change. It’s exhausting keeping up appearances around friends and family when deep down, I feel like I’m constantly pretending to be okay.

I’ve gotten pretty good at hiding it. I act confident, make jokes, and play along in conversations. But the truth is, those moments are just distractions. When I’m alone, it all comes crashing down. I tell myself I’m ugly, worthless, and unlovable—over and over. It sounds horrible, but it’s become my normal. The weird part is that it feels like I need someone else to say it too, just to make it feel real.

So here I am, posting on Reddit, asking a stranger to do what I can’t seem to stop doing to myself. I know this probably sounds pathetic or messed up, but I just need someone to tell me exactly how ugly I am. I want the truth from someone without sugarcoating it. For some reason, I think hearing it from someone else would bring me a weird sense of peace—like I could finally stop hiding from it.

I get it if this post sounds strange or if people think I’m fishing for insults, but it’s not like that. I just need this… even if it’s hard to explain why.

Thanks for reading, and if you feel like replying, go ahead.