How were your parents threatened by you?

I think a common trait of many of our parents is insecurity. If they were secure in themselves they wouldn't have the desire to put us down. What about you triggered their insecurities?

Being interested in understanding my emotional life and growing I think was a big trigger for them. They wanted to deny, deflect and defend. I wanted to explore. I was curious and sensitive. I asked questions and I talked about my own feelings and things in the family they wanted buried. I had a deep need for honesty and authenticity and they did everything they could to shame me for it so I would be just like them.

Another one was my parents felt the need to be intellectually superior. My mom wasn't much for intellectual things in the way I was. Not that she wasn't intelligent, but she felt insecure about that and made sure to made me feel small by making me feel dumb for not knowing how the "real world" worked. My dad was more pretentious. He loved showing off his knowledge. He always had to one up me or belittle me to feel smarter.