Internal saboteur, or inner saboteur, is the part of an individual’s personality which deliberately disrupts, delays, destroys, or hinders his own success.
For instance, a young man applies for a position and is scheduled for a job interview. He then prepares his documents and even buys new clothes. However, on the day of the interview, he did not show up because he “felt lazy.” His inner saboteur interfered with his career goals. People may or may not be aware of this self-sabotaging psyche. It may be manifested as procrastination, over eating, self-harm, self-medication, negative self-talk, etc. Some of the reasons for having this self-defeating behavior is low self-esteem, fear of embarrassment, and being uncomfortable with challenges.