Become Bulletproof
Own Your Downside
Own every fault you can imagine might apply to you, so there's no hook left for anyone to grab.
Why this helps
The ego must be right to survive, so criticism lands as a threat — we stonewall, defend, or explode, often over something tiny. People intuit where you're sensitive and aim there.
In the moment
Owning the fault drains its charge — the dig stops landing.
Over time
Nothing left to defend means nothing to hit. You become quietly unoffendable.
The practice
The ego survives by being right, so criticism feels like an attack — we stonewall, get defensive, or blow up, often over something trivial. The antidote is to own your possible downside before anyone else can use it. List every fault you can imagine might apply to you — even the ones you think are unfair — and own each one, with humor and self-compassion. When there's no fault you're defending, there's no hook left for anyone to grab. The close is the whole point: "Yes, that may be true — and I'm loved anyway."
"Own your possible downside, and nobody has any place to attack you." — Dr. David Hawkins.
When to use it
- Criticism cuts deeper than it should
- You stonewall or get defensive
- You keep attracting the same digs from people
Instructions
- List it. Write down your faults — including the ones others accuse you of that you think are unfair.
- Own each one. "Yes, I can be that." Presume a grain of truth and drop the defense.
- Say it lightly. Practice owning it out loud, even with humor ("I'm the best at it").
- Close with compassion. "That may be true. And I'm loved anyway." Notice the charge drain.
Examples
The criticism that keeps landing
Narrow frame: That's not true and they have no right to say it. I have to defend myself and prove them wrong.
Wider frame: Maybe there's a grain of truth in it — and even if there isn't, I can own it lightly. "Yes, I can be that. And I'm loved anyway."
The ego defends because being wrong feels like dying. But the defense is the hook. Owning your possible downside leaves nothing to grab — people intuit where you're unowned, and that's exactly what they go for.
Related focus areas
Guilt, forgiveness, and interpersonal triggers - guided toolkits that use this technique.