Vocalist A. Jay Popoff said that the song "was the combination of many, many incidents"; he had gotten in trouble with the law for public nudity in the late 1990s, and sang "My Own Worst Enemy" nude in the studio.
Popoff described a New Year's when the band got drunk in Laughlin, Nevada; he stole a janitor's cart, and he "and five friends jumped onto the flatbed, rode down the sidewalk, and got chased by the cops".
It became an airplay juggernaut; it hit number one in the U.S. on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks, and was the top-played song of the year on that format.
According to Lit guitarist Jeremy Popoff, "My Own Worst Enemy" "is the result of waking up and realizing you screwed up the night before.
[7] James Oldham of NME called "My Own Worst Enemy" "totally loathsome, poisonous stuff, but quite addictive.
[12] Daniel J. Katz of The Tech criticized the song's parent album: "Recipe for a one-hit wonder: Start with Eve 6/Harvey Danger style power pop that’s already been done to death.
[7] A week earlier, Katz wrote that "My Own Worst Enemy" "is a great song because of its simplicity and short duration".
[7] According to Liz Tracy of the New Times Broward-Palm Beach, "'My Own Worst Enemy' was so incredibly radio-friendly that it was hard not to get sucked into that punchy tune and sort of pathetic lyrics".
"[14] Fuse said, "'My Own Worst Enemy' is self-deprecating and catchy, like all good sad boy band music.
According to Spectrum Culture, with "My Own Worst Enemy" Lit "demonstrates the adolescent fallouts that can occur from a post-high school life".
[16] In CMJ New Music Report's review of A Place in the Sun, "My Own Worst Enemy" was on its recommended-tracks list.
"[22] On February 27, 1999, "My Own Worst Enemy" reached number 17 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
[25] The song later achieved mainstream success;[26] on July 3, it peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, staying on the listing for 20 weeks.
[32][33] The song's music video was filmed by Gavin Bowden at Java Lanes bowling alley in Long Beach, California.
[63] The song became popular among fans of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team during games at the Joe Louis Arena.
[64][65] On a 2018 episode of The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon sings a deep-voiced version with members of The Gentlemen's Chorus.