See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love

Kaur names one of her internal voices the Little Critic. This is the voice that criticizes her and tells her all the things she cannot do. She notes that Little Critic’s voice was louder when she was dating Ram because he was overly critical of her. It was also louder during the Trump era. This emphasizes that poor self-esteem is often the product of one’s environment; Little Critic’s voice is a mosaic of real-life negativity. Visually, Kaur describes Little Critic as a “ragged bird who liked to sit on the throne of my mind” (279). The bird’s ragged appearance relates directly to how this voice makes her feel. She notices that when her Wise Woman voice is present, Little Critic is quiet; this helps her realize that Little Critic is afraid for her. This negative self-perception is a defense mechanism. She writes, “All this time, the Little Critic was trying to keep me small, because it was the only way to survive. He was trying to protect me” (290). In her healing journey, she imagines thanking him for his services and releasing him, allowing Wise Woman to take control instead.