One of the tendencies that my teacher, Rob Burbea, would point to again and again, encouraging us to soften or even overcome it completely, is the movement of the inner critic. A negative regard towards ourselves is a very common habit of mind. And, as a habit of mind, it is something we can come to understand, relax, and eventually overcome. In this talk, we take time to look the inner critic “in the eye,” exploring how the mind sustains it, and how very different ways of relating to ourselves can be cultivated.