________ is a destructive personal characteristic that is associated with inflexibility and a variety of maladaptive cognitions and affective responses such as low self-esteem, guilt, and shame.

The characteristic you described represents elements of personality disorders. These are enduring, maladaptive patterns of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, often involving negative affectivity, social inhibition due to fear of being evaluated negatively, and various impairments in self-image and interpersonal relationships.

Explanation:

The characteristic described in your question is indicative of certain personality disorders. These are a subgroup of mental disorders defined by an enduring, rigid pattern of maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They usually arise from a combination of genetic and environmental influences, resulting in distinctive patterns of perceiving, interacting with, and thinking about the world.

A key element in most personality disorders is negative affectivity, which is a general tendency to experience, frequently and intensely, negative emotional states such as anger, fear, and guilt. This often goes hand in hand with an inflated sensitivity to negative evaluation from others, leading to social inhibition and avoidance behaviors.

Certain personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder entail a pervasive need for perfectionism. Others, such as borderline personality disorder, involve instability in self-image, behavior, and affect, with impulsivity and poor interpersonal relationships. Many of these disorders are hallmarked by low self-esteem and feelings of guilt and shame.

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