In a developing story out of Newark, NJ, the family and friends of 25-year-old Tom Matthews are struggling to find out where Tom ever got the idea that he is too hard on himself.
“I know that my standards for myself are way too high,” Tom said. “And it’s definitely not healthy.”
However, though he says he holds himself to a high standard, sources are mystified by the discepency between this sentiment and Tom’s actions.
“He keeps saying how hard he is on himself,” said Tom’s sister, Grace Matthews. “But he doesn’t even shower regularly, and still insists on saying that holiday gifts I get our parents are from ‘both of us’.”
“I just feel like if he was really too hard on himself, he would probably have a job by now?” Tom’s mother, Janice Matthews, said. “Not that I’m saying I want him to be too hard on himself, but he’s always complaining about it so he may as well base it in some reality.”
Although his family members don’t know where he got this idea from, Tom remains convinced it’s common knowledge.
We still have not received any reports on who or where he could have heard this from.
“I would love to just live life and not worry about whatever I might be doing wrong,” Tom said. “But I know I never can because I’m way too hard on myself.”
Sources report that whenever Tom does the dishes, he doesn’t even clean them all the way and his roommates have to clean them all over again, which doesn’t really seem like something that someone with high standards would do.
“I have no idea why he would ever think that,” says Tom’s roommate, Elena. “Honestly, he should be harder on himself. I think it would make things easier for everyone involved.”
“Sometimes when you hear something enough, you start to believe it,” Tom said. “And in this case, it’s been people telling me how much I torture myself over basically nothing.”
“Literally who is saying that?” says Tom’s sister, Grace. “I’ve known him all my life and I’ve never heard anyone say that to him.”
At press time, Tom still constantly talks about how he’s too hard on himself, despite not having done his laundry in almost three months now.
