Is self esteem one word

Self-esteem is confidence in one’s own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, «I am loved», «I am worthy») as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.^[1] Smith and Mackie (2007) defined it by saying «The self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, is the positive or negative evaluations of the self, as in how we feel about it.»^[2]

Self-esteem is an attractive psychological construct because it predicts certain outcomes, such as academic achievement,^[3][4] happiness,^[5] satisfaction in marriage and relationships,^[6] and criminal behavior.^[6] Self-esteem can apply to a specific attribute or globally. Psychologists usually regard self-esteem as an enduring personality characteristic (trait self-esteem), though normal, short-term variations (state self-esteem) also exist. Synonyms or near-synonyms of self-esteem include: self-worth,^[7] self-regard,^[8] self-respect,^[9][10] and self-integrity.

History[edit]

The concept of self-esteem has its origins in the 18th century, first expressed in the writings of the Scottish enlightenment thinker David Hume. Hume posits that it is important to value and think well of oneself because it serves a motivational function that enables people to explore their full potential.^[11][12]

The identification of self-esteem as a distinct psychological construct has its origins in the work of philosopher, psychologist, geologist, and anthropologist William James (1892). James identified multiple dimensions of the self, with two levels of hierarchy: processes of knowing (called the «I-self») and the resulting knowledge about the self (the «Me-self»). The observation about the self and storage of those observations by the I-self creates three types of knowledge, which collectively account for the Me-self, according to James. These are the material self, social self, and spiritual self. The social self comes closest to self-esteem, comprising all characteristics recognized by others. The material self consists of representations of the body and possessions and the spiritual self of descriptive representations and evaluative dispositions regarding the self. This view of self-esteem as the collection of an individual’s attitudes toward itself remains today.^[13]

In the mid-1960s, social psychologist Morris Rosenberg defined self-esteem as a feeling of self-worth and developed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), which became the most-widely used scale to measure self-esteem in the social sciences.^[14]

In the early 20th century, the behaviorist movement minimized introspective study of mental processes, emotions, and feelings, replacing introspection with objective study through experiments on behaviors observed in relation with the environment. Behaviorism viewed the human being as an animal subject to reinforcements, and suggested placing psychology as an experimental science, similar to chemistry or biology. As a consequence, clinical trials on self-esteem were overlooked, since behaviorists considered the idea less liable to rigorous measurement.^[15]
In the mid-20th century, the rise of phenomenology and humanistic psychology led to renewed interest in self-esteem. Self-esteem then took a central role in personal self-actualization and in the treatment of psychic disorders. Psychologists started to consider the relationship between psychotherapy and the personal satisfaction of people with high self-esteem as useful to the field. This led to new elements being introduced to the concept of self-esteem, including the reasons why people tend to feel less worthy and why people become discouraged or unable to meet challenges by themselves.^[15]

In 1992 the political scientist Francis Fukuyama associated self-esteem with what Plato called thymos – the «spiritedness» part of the Platonic soul.^[16]

From 1997, the core self-evaluations approach included self-esteem as one of four dimensions that comprise one’s fundamental appraisal of oneself – along with locus of control, neuroticism, and self-efficacy.^[17] The concept of core self-evaluations as first examined by Judge, Locke, and Durham (1997),^[17] has since proven to have the ability to predict job satisfaction and job performance.^{[17][18][19][20][21]} Self-esteem may be essential to self-evaluation.^[20]

In public policy[edit]

The importance of self-esteem gained endorsement from some government and non-government groups starting around the 1970s, such that one can speak of a self-esteem movement.^[5][22] This movement can be used^{[by whom?]} as an example of promising evidence that psychological research can have an effect on forming public policy.^{[citation needed]} The underlying idea of the movement was that low self-esteem was the root of problems for individuals, making it the root of societal problems and dysfunctions. A leading figure of the movement, psychologist Nathaniel Branden, stated: «[I] cannot think of a single psychological problem – from anxiety and depression, to fear of intimacy or of success, to spouse battery or child molestation – that is not traced back to the problem of low self-esteem».^[5]: 3

Self-esteem was believed^{[by whom?]} to be a cultural phenomenon of Western individualistic societies since low self-esteem was not found in collectivist countries such as Japan.^[23]
Concern about low self-esteem and its many presumed negative consequences led California assemblyman John Vasconcellos to work to set up and fund the Task Force on Self-Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility, in California, in 1986. Vasconcellos argued that this task force could combat many of the state’s problems – from crime and teen pregnancy to school underachievement and pollution.^[5] He compared increasing self-esteem to giving out a vaccine for a disease: it could help protect people from being overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

The task force set up committees in many California counties and formed a committee of scholars to review the available literature on self-esteem. This committee found very small associations between low self-esteem and its assumed consequences, ultimately showing that low self-esteem was not the root of all societal problems and not as important as the committee had originally thought. However, the authors of the paper that summarized the review of the literature still believed that self-esteem is an independent variable that affects major social problems. The task force disbanded in 1995, and the National Council for Self-Esteem and later the National Association for Self-Esteem (NASE) was established,^{[by whom?]} taking on the task force’s mission. Vasconcellos and Jack Canfield were members of its advisory board in 2003, and members of its masters’ coalition included Anthony Robbins, Bernie Siegel, and Gloria Steinem.^[5]

Theories[edit]

Many early theories suggested that self-esteem is a basic human need or motivation. American psychologist Abraham Maslow included self-esteem in his hierarchy of human needs. He described two different forms of «esteem»: the need for respect from others in the form of recognition, success, and admiration, and the need for self-respect in the form of self-love, self-confidence, skill, or aptitude.^[24] Respect from others was believed to be more fragile and easily lost than inner self-esteem. According to Maslow, without the fulfillment of the self-esteem need, individuals will be driven to seek it and unable to grow and obtain self-actualization. Maslow also states that the healthiest expression of self-esteem «is the one which manifests in the respect we deserve for others, more than renown, fame, and flattery». Modern theories of self-esteem explore the reasons humans are motivated to maintain a high regard for themselves. Sociometer theory maintains that self-esteem evolved to check one’s level of status and acceptance in one’s social group. According to Terror Management Theory, self-esteem serves a protective function and reduces anxiety about life and death.^[25]

Carl Rogers (1902–1987), an advocate of humanistic psychology, theorized the origin of many people’s problems to be that they despise themselves and consider themselves worthless and incapable of being loved. This is why Rogers believed in the importance of giving unconditional acceptance to a client and when this was done it could improve the client’s self-esteem.^[15] In his therapy sessions with clients, he offered positive regard no matter what.^[26] Indeed, the concept of self-esteem is approached since then in humanistic psychology as an inalienable right for every person, summarized in the following sentence:

Every human being, with no exception, for the mere fact to be it, is worthy of unconditional respect of everybody else; he deserves to esteem himself and to be esteemed.^[15]

Measurement[edit]

Self-esteem is typically assessed using self-report inventories.

One of the most widely used instruments, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES)^[27] is a 10-item self-esteem scale score that requires participants to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements about themselves. An alternative measure, the Coopersmith Inventory uses a 50-question battery over a variety of topics and asks subjects whether they rate someone as similar or dissimilar to themselves.^[28] If a subject’s answers demonstrate solid self-regard, the scale regards them as well adjusted. If those answers reveal some inner shame, it considers them to be prone to social deviance.^[29]

Implicit measures of self-esteem began to be used in the 1980s.^[30]
These rely on indirect measures of cognitive processing thought to be linked to implicit self-esteem, including the name letter task (or initial preference task)^[31][32] and the Implicit Association Task.^[33]

Such indirect measures are designed to reduce awareness of the process of assessment. When using them to assess implicit self-esteem, psychologists apply self-relevant stimuli to the participant and then measure how quickly a person identifies positive or negative stimuli.^[34] For example, if a woman was given the self-relevant stimuli of female and mother, psychologists would measure how quickly she identified the negative word, evil, or the positive word, kind.

Development across lifespan[edit]

Experiences in a person’s life are a major source of how self-esteem develops.^[5] In the early years of a child’s life, parents have a significant influence on self-esteem and can be considered the main source of positive and negative experiences a child will have.^[35] Unconditional love from parents helps a child develop a stable sense of being cared for and respected. These feelings translate into later effects on self-esteem as the child grows older.^[36] Students in elementary school who have high self-esteem tend to have authoritative parents who are caring, supportive adults who set clear standards for their child and allow them to voice their opinion in decision making.

Although studies thus far have reported only a correlation of warm, supportive parenting styles (mainly authoritative and permissive) with children having high self-esteem, these parenting styles could easily be thought of as having some causal effect in self-esteem development.^{[35][37][38][39]} Childhood experiences that contribute to healthy self-esteem include being listened to, being spoken to respectfully, receiving appropriate attention and affection and having accomplishments recognized and mistakes or failures acknowledged and accepted. Experiences that contribute to low self-esteem include being harshly criticized, being physically, sexually or emotionally abused, being ignored, ridiculed or teased or being expected to be «perfect» all the time.^[40]

During school-aged years, academic achievement is a significant contributor to self-esteem development.^[5] Consistently achieving success or consistently failing will have a strong effect on students’ individual self-esteem.^[41] However, students can also experience low self-esteem while in school. For example, they may not have academic achievements, or they live in a troubled environment outside of school. Issues like the ones previously stated, can cause adolescents to doubt themselves. Social experiences are another important contributor to self-esteem. As children go through school, they begin to understand and recognize differences between themselves and their classmates. Using social comparisons, children assess whether they did better or worse than classmates in different activities. These comparisons play an important role in shaping the child’s self-esteem and influence the positive or negative feelings they have about themselves.^[42][43] As children go through adolescence, peer influence becomes much more important. Adolescents make appraisals of themselves based on their relationships with close friends.^[44] Successful relationships among friends are very important to the development of high self-esteem for children. Social acceptance brings about confidence and produces high self-esteem, whereas rejection from peers and loneliness brings about self-doubts and produces low self-esteem.^[45]

Adolescence shows an increase in self-esteem that continues to increase in young adulthood and middle age.^[6] A decrease is seen from middle age to old age with varying findings on whether it is a small or large decrease.^[6] Reasons for the variability could be because of differences in health, cognitive ability, and socioeconomic status in old age.^[6] No differences have been found between males and females in their development of self-esteem.^[6] Multiple cohort studies show that there is not a difference in the life-span trajectory of self-esteem between generations due to societal changes such as grade inflation in education or the presence of social media.^[6]

High levels of mastery, low risk taking, and better health are ways to predict higher self-esteem. In terms of personality, emotionally stable, extroverted, and conscientious individuals experience higher self-esteem.^[6] These predictors have shown us that self-esteem has trait-like qualities by remaining stable over time like personality and intelligence.^[6] However, this does not mean it can not be changed.^[6] Hispanic adolescents have a slightly lower self-esteem than their black and white peers, but then slightly higher levels by age 30.^[46][47] African Americans have a sharper increase in self-esteem in adolescence and young adulthood compared to Whites. However, during old age, they experience a more rapid decline in self-esteem.^[6]

Shame[edit]

Shame can be a contributor to those with problems of low self-esteem.^[48] Feelings of shame usually occur because of a situation where the social self is devalued, such as a socially evaluated poor performance. A poor performance leads to higher responses of psychological states that indicate a threat to the social self namely a decrease in social self-esteem and an increase in shame.^[49] This increase in shame can be helped with self-compassion.^[50][51]

Real self, ideal self, and dreaded self[edit]

There are three levels of self-evaluation development in relation to the real self, ideal self, and the dreaded self. The real, ideal, and dreaded selves develop in children in a sequential pattern on cognitive levels.^[52]

• Moral judgment stages: Individuals describe their real, ideal, and dreaded selves with stereotypical labels, such as «nice» or «bad». Individuals describe their ideal and real selves in terms of disposition for actions or as behavioral habits. The dreaded self is often described as being unsuccessful or as having bad habits.
• Ego development stages: Individuals describe their ideal and real selves in terms of traits that are based on attitudes as well as actions. The dreaded self is often described as having failed to meet social expectations or as self-centered.
• Self-understanding stages: Individuals describe their ideal and real selves as having unified identities or characters. Descriptions of the dreaded self focus on a failure to live up to one’s ideals or role expectations often because of real world problems.

This development brings with it increasingly complicated and encompassing moral demands. This level is where individuals’ self-esteems can suffer because they do not feel as though they are living up to certain expectations. This feeling will moderately affect one’s self-esteem with an even larger effect seen when individuals believe they are becoming their dreaded selves.^[52]

Types[edit]

High[edit]

People with a healthy level of self-esteem:^[53]

• Firmly believe in certain values and principles, and are ready to defend them even when finding opposition, feeling secure enough to modify them in light of experience.^[15]
• Are able to act according to what they think to be the best choice, trusting their own judgment, and not feeling guilty when others do not like their choice.^[15]
• Do not lose time worrying excessively about what happened in the past, nor about what could happen in the future. They learn from the past and plan for the future, but live in the present intensely.^[15]
• Fully trust in their capacity to solve problems, not hesitating after failures and difficulties. They ask others for help when they need it.^[15]
• Consider themselves equal in dignity to others, rather than inferior or superior, while accepting differences in certain talents, personal prestige or financial standing.^[15]
• Understand how they are an interesting and valuable person for others, at least for those with whom they have a friendship.^[15]
• Resist manipulation, collaborate with others only if it seems appropriate and convenient.^[15]
• Admit and accept different internal feelings and drives, either positive or negative, revealing those drives to others only when they choose.^[15]
• Are able to enjoy a great variety of activities.^[15]
• Are sensitive to feelings and needs of others; respect generally accepted social rules, and claim no right or desire to prosper at others’ expense.^[15]
• Can work toward finding solutions and voice discontent without belittling themselves or others when challenges arise.^[54]

Secure vs. defensive[edit]

A person can have high self-esteem and hold it confidently where they do not need reassurance from others to maintain their positive self-view, whereas others with defensive high self-esteem may still report positive self-evaluations on the Rosenberg Scale, as all high self-esteem individuals do; however, their positive self-views are fragile and vulnerable to criticism. Defensive high self-esteem individuals internalize subconscious self-doubts and insecurities, causing them to react very negatively to any criticism they may receive. There is a need for constant positive feedback from others for these individuals to maintain their feelings of self-worth. The necessity of repeated praise can be associated with boastful, arrogant behavior or sometimes even aggressive and hostile feelings toward anyone who questions the individual’s self-worth, an example of threatened egotism.^[55][56]

The Journal of Educational Psychology conducted a study in which they used a sample of 383 Malaysian undergraduates participating in work integrated learning (WIL) programs across five public universities to test the relationship between self-esteem and other psychological attributes such as self-efficacy and self-confidence. The results demonstrated that self-esteem has a positive and significant relationship with self-confidence and self-efficacy since students with higher self-esteem had better performances at university than those with lower self-esteem. It was concluded that higher education institutions and employers should emphasize the importance of undergraduates’ self-esteem development.^[57]

Implicit and explicit[edit]

Implicit self-esteem refers to a person’s disposition to evaluate themselves positively or negatively in a spontaneous, automatic, or unconscious manner. It contrasts with explicit self-esteem, which entails more conscious and reflective self-evaluation. Both explicit self-esteem and implicit self-esteem are theoretically subtypes of self-esteem proper.

However, the validity of implicit self-esteem as a construct is highly questionable, given not only its weak or nonexistent correlation with explicit self-esteem and informant ratings of self-esteem,^[11][16] but also the failure of multiple measures of implicit self-esteem to correlate with each other.^[24]

As present, there is little scientific evidence that self-esteem can be reliably or validly measured through implicit means.^[25]

Narcissism and threatened egotism[edit]

Narcissism is a disposition people may have that represents an excessive love for one’s self. It is characterized by an inflated view of self-worth. Individuals who score high on narcissism measures, Robert Raskin’s Narcissistic Personality Inventory, would likely select true to such statements as «If I ruled the world, it would be a much better place.»^[58] There is only a moderate correlation between narcissism and self-esteem;^[59] that is to say that an individual can have high self-esteem but low narcissism or can be a conceited, obnoxious person and score high self-esteem and high narcissism.^[60] However, when correlation analysis is restricted to the sense of superiority or self-admiration aspects of narcissism, correlations between narcissism and self-esteem become strong (usually at or around r = .50, but sometimes up to β = .86).^[8][7][9] Moreover, self-esteem is positively correlated with a sense of superiority even when controlling for overall narcissism.^[1][3]

In addition to exaggerated regard for oneself, however, narcissism is additionally defined by such characteristics as entitlement, exploitativeness and dominance. Additionally, while positive self-image is a shared characteristic of narcissism and self-esteem, narcissistic self-appraisals are exaggerated, whereas in non-narcissistic self-esteem, positive views of the self compared with others are relatively modest. Thus, while sharing positive self-regard as a main feature, and while narcissism is defined by high self-esteem, the two constructs are not interchangeable.

Threatened egotism is characterized as a response to criticism that threatens the ego of narcissists; they often react in a hostile and aggressive manner.^[14][61][62]

Low[edit]

Low self-esteem can result from various factors, including genetic factors, physical appearance or weight, mental health issues, socioeconomic status, significant emotional experiences, social stigma, peer pressure or bullying.^[63]

A person with low self-esteem may show some of the following characteristics:^{[64][medical citation needed]}

• Heavy self-criticism and dissatisfaction.^[15]
• Hypersensitivity to criticism with resentment against critics and feelings of being attacked.^[15]
• Chronic indecision and an exaggerated fear of mistakes.^[15]
• Excessive will to please and unwillingness to displease any petitioner.^[15]
• Perfectionism, which can lead to frustration when perfection is not achieved.^[15]
• Neurotic guilt, dwelling on or exaggerating the magnitude of past mistakes.^[15]
• Floating hostility and general defensiveness and irritability without any proximate cause.^[15]
• Pessimism and a general negative outlook.^[15]
• Envy, invidiousness, or general resentment.^[15]
• Sees temporary setbacks as permanent, intolerable conditions.^[54]

Individuals with low self-esteem tend to be critical of themselves. Some depend on the approval and praise of others when evaluating self-worth. Others may measure their likability in terms of successes: others will accept themselves if they succeed but will not if they fail.^[65] People with chronic low self esteem are at a higher risk for experiencing psychotic disorders; and this behavior is closely linked to forming psychotic symptoms as well.^{[66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73]}

Treatments[edit]

Metacognitive therapy, EMDR technique, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and trait and construct therapies have been shown to improve the patient’s self-esteem.^[74]

The three states[edit]

This classification proposed by Martin Ross^[75] distinguishes three states of self-esteem compared to the «feats» (triumphs, honors, virtues) and the «anti-feats» (defeats, embarrassment, shame, etc.) of the individuals.^[4][76]

Shattered[edit]

The individual does not regard themselves as valuable or lovable. They may be overwhelmed by defeat, or shame, or see themselves as such, and they name their «anti-feat». For example, if they consider that being over a certain age is an anti-feat, they define themselves with the name of their anti-feat, and say, «I am old». They express actions and feelings such as pity, insulting themselves, and they may become paralyzed by their sadness.^[75][77]

Vulnerable[edit]

The individual has a generally positive self-image. However, their self-esteem is also vulnerable to the perceived risk of an imminent anti-feat (such as defeat, embarrassment, shame, discredit), consequently, they are often nervous and regularly use defense mechanisms.^[77] A typical protection mechanism of those with vulnerable self-esteem may consist in avoiding decision-making. Although such individuals may outwardly exhibit great self-confidence, the underlying reality may be just the opposite: the apparent self-confidence is indicative of their heightened fear of anti-feats and the fragility of their self-esteem.^[4] They may also try to blame others to protect their self-image from situations that would threaten it. They may employ defense mechanisms, including attempting to lose at games and other competitions in order to protect their self-image by publicly dissociating themselves from a need to win, and asserting an independence from social acceptance which they may deeply desire. In this deep fear of being unaccepted by an individual’s peers, they make poor life choices by making risky decisions.^[76][77]

Strong[edit]

People with strong self-esteem have a positive self-image and enough strength so that anti-feats do not subdue their self-esteem. They have less fear of failure. These individuals appear humble, cheerful, and this shows a certain strength not to boast about feats and not to be afraid of anti-feats.^[76][77]
They are capable of fighting with all their might to achieve their goals because, if things go wrong, their self-esteem will not be affected. They can acknowledge their own mistakes precisely because their self-image is strong, and this acknowledgment will not impair or affect their self-image.^[77] They live with less fear of losing social prestige, and with more happiness and general well-being.^[77]
However, no type of self-esteem is indestructible,^{[citation needed]} and due to certain situations or circumstances in life, one can fall from this level into any other state of self-esteem.^[75][77]

Contingent vs. non-contingent[edit]

A distinction is made between contingent (or conditional^[78]) and non-contingent (or unconditional^[79]) self-esteem.

Contingent self-esteem is derived from external sources, such as what others say, one’s success or failure, one’s competence,^[80] or relationship-contingent self-esteem.

Therefore, contingent self-esteem is marked by instability, unreliability, and vulnerability. Persons lacking a non-contingent self-esteem are «predisposed to an incessant pursuit of self-value».^[81] However, because the pursuit of contingent self-esteem is based on receiving approval, it is doomed to fail, as no one receives constant approval, and disapproval often evokes depression. Furthermore, fear of disapproval inhibits activities in which failure is possible.^[82]

Non-contingent self-esteem is described as true, stable, and solid.^[84] It springs from a belief that one is «acceptable period, acceptable before life itself, ontologically acceptable».^[85] Belief that one is «ontologically acceptable» is to believe that one’s acceptability is «the way things are without contingency».^[86] In this belief, as expounded by theologian Paul Tillich, acceptability is not based on a person’s virtue. It is an acceptance given «in spite of our guilt, not because we have no guilt».^[87]

Psychiatrist Thomas A Harris drew on Tillich for his classic I’m OK – You’re OK that addresses non-contingent self-esteem. Harris translated Tillich’s «acceptable» by the vernacular OK, a term that means «acceptable».^[88] The Christian message, said Harris, is not «YOU CAN BE OK, IF»; it is «YOU ARE ACCEPTED, unconditionally».^[89]

A secure non-contingent self-esteem springs from the belief that one is ontologically acceptable and accepted.^[90]

Domain-specific self-esteem[edit]

Whereas global self-esteem addresses how individuals appraise themselves in their entirety, domain-specific self-esteem facets relate to how they appraise themselves in various pertinent domains of life. Such functionally distinct facets of self-esteem may comprise self-evaluations in social, emotional, body-related, school performance-related, and creative-artistic domains.^[91][92]

They have been found to be predictive of outcomes related to psychological functioning, health, education, and work.^[93]
Low self-esteem in the social domain (i.e., self-perceived social competence), for example, has been repeatedly identified as a risk factor for bullying victimization.^[94][91]

Importance[edit]

Abraham Maslow states that psychological health is not possible unless the essential core of the person is fundamentally accepted, loved and respected by others and by oneself. Self-esteem allows people to face life with more confidence, benevolence, and optimism, and thus easily reach their goals and self-actualize.^[95]

Self-esteem may make people convinced they deserve happiness.^[95] Understanding this is fundamental, and universally beneficial, since the development of positive self-esteem increases the capacity to treat other people with respect, benevolence and goodwill, thus favoring rich interpersonal relationships and avoiding destructive ones.^[95] For Erich Fromm, the love of others and love of ourselves are not alternatives. On the contrary, an attitude of love toward themselves will be found in all those who are capable of loving others. Self-esteem allows creativity at the workplace and is a specially critical condition for teaching professions.^[96]

José-Vicente Bonet claims that the importance of self-esteem is obvious as a lack of self-esteem is, he says, not a loss of esteem from others, but self-rejection. Bonet claims that this corresponds to major depressive disorder.^[15] Freud also claimed that the depressive has suffered «an extraordinary diminution in his self-regard, an impoverishment of his ego on a grand scale… He has lost his self-respect».^[97]

The Yogyakarta Principles, a document on international human rights law, addresses the discriminatory attitude toward LGBT people that makes their self-esteem low to be subject to human rights violation including human trafficking.^[98] The World Health Organization recommends in «Preventing Suicide»,^[99] published in 2000, that strengthening students’ self-esteem is important to protect children and adolescents against mental distress and despondency, enabling them to cope adequately with difficult and stressful life situations.^[100]

Other than increased happiness, higher self-esteem is also known to correlate with a better ability to cope with stress and a higher likeliness of taking on difficult tasks relative to those with low self-esteem.^[101]

Correlations[edit]

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s many Americans assumed as a matter of course that students’ self-esteem acted as a critical factor in the grades that they earned in school, in their relationships with their peers, and in their later success in life. Under this assumption, some American groups created programs which aimed to increase the self-esteem of students. Until the 1990s, little peer-reviewed and controlled research took place on this topic.

Peer-reviewed research undertaken since then has not validated previous assumptions. Recent research indicates that inflating students’ self-esteems in and of itself has no positive effect on grades. Roy Baumeister has shown that inflating self-esteem by itself can actually decrease grades.^[102][103] The relationship involving self-esteem and academic results does not signify that high self-esteem contributes to high academic results. It simply means that high self-esteem may be accomplished as a result of high academic performance due to the other variables of social interactions and life events affecting this performance.^[5]

Attempts by pro-esteem advocates to encourage self-pride in students solely by reason of their uniqueness as human beings will fail if feelings of well-being are not accompanied by well-doing. It is only when students engage in personally meaningful endeavors for which they can be justifiably proud that self-confidence grows, and it is this growing self-assurance that in turn triggers further achievement.^[104]

High self-esteem has a high correlation to self-reported happiness; whether this is a causal relationship has not been established.^[5] The relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction is stronger in individualistic cultures.^[105]

Additionally, self-esteem has been found to be related to forgiveness in close relationships, in that people with high self-esteem will be more forgiving than people with low self-esteem.^[106]

High self-esteem does not prevent children from smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or engaging in early sex.^[5]

Mental Health[edit]

Self-esteem has been associated with several mental health conditions, including depression,^[107] anxiety,^[107] and eating disorders.^[108] For example, low self-esteem may increase the likelihood that people who experience dysfunctional thoughts will develop symptoms of depression.^[109] In contrast, high self-esteem may protect against the development of mental health conditions, with research finding that high self-esteem reduces the chances of bulimia^[5] and anxiety.^[110]

Neuroscience[edit]

In research conducted in 2014 by Robert S. Chavez and Todd F. Heatherton, it was found that self-esteem is related to the connectivity of the frontostriatal circuit. The frontostriatal pathway connects the medial prefrontal cortex, which deals with self-knowledge, to the ventral striatum, which deals with feelings of motivation and reward. Stronger anatomical pathways are correlated with higher long-term self-esteem, while stronger functional connectivity is correlated with higher short-term self-esteem.^[111]

Criticism and controversy[edit]

The American psychologist Albert Ellis criticized on numerous occasions the concept of self-esteem as essentially self-defeating and ultimately destructive.^[112] Although acknowledging the human propensity and tendency to ego rating as innate, he has critiqued the philosophy of self-esteem as unrealistic, illogical and self- and socially destructive – often doing more harm than good. Questioning the foundations and usefulness of generalized ego strength, he has claimed that self-esteem is based on arbitrary definitional premises, and overgeneralized, perfectionistic and grandiose thinking.^[112] Acknowledging that rating and valuing behaviors and characteristics is functional and even necessary, he sees rating and valuing human beings’ totality and total selves as irrational and unethical. The healthier alternative to self-esteem according to him is unconditional self-acceptance and unconditional other-acceptance.^[113] Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is a psychotherapy based on this approach.^[114]

«There seem to be only two clearly demonstrated benefits of high self-esteem….First, it increases initiative, probably because it lends confidence. People with high self-esteem are more willing to act on their beliefs, to stand up for what they believe in, to approach others, to risk new undertakings. (This unfortunately includes being extra willing to do stupid or destructive things, even when everyone else advises against them.)…It can also lead people to ignore sensible advice as they stubbornly keep wasting time and money on hopeless causes»^[115]

False attempts[edit]

For persons with low self-esteem, any positive stimulus will temporarily raise self-esteem. Therefore, possessions, sex, success, or physical appearance will produce the development of self-esteem, but the development is ephemeral at best.^[116] Such attempts to raise one’s self-esteem by positive stimulus produce a «boom or bust» pattern. «Compliments and positive feedback» produce a boost, but a bust follows a lack of such feedback. For a person whose «self-esteem is contingent», success is «not extra sweet», but «failure is extra bitter».^[82]

As narcissism[edit]

Life satisfaction, happiness, healthy behavioral practices, perceived efficacy, and academic success and adjustment have been associated with having high levels of self-esteem (Harter, 1987; Huebner, 1991; Lipschitz-Elhawi & Itzhaky, 2005; Rumberger 1995; Swenson & Prelow, 2005; Yarcheski & Mahon, 1989).^{[ISBN missing][117]: 270} However, a common mistake is to think that loving oneself is necessarily equivalent to narcissism, as opposed for example to what Erik Erikson speaks of as «a post-narcissistic love of the ego».^[118] People with healthy self-esteem accept and love themselves unconditionally, acknowledging both virtues and faults in the self, and yet, in spite of everything, are able to continue to love themselves. In narcissists, by contrast, an » uncertainty about their own worth gives rise to…a self-protective, but often totally spurious, aura of grandiosity»^[119] – producing the class «of narcissists, or people with very high, but insecure, self-esteem… fluctuating with each new episode of social praise or rejection.»^[2]: 479 For narcissists, regulating their self-esteem is their constant concern. They use defenses (such as denial, projection, self-inflation, envy, arrogance, and aggression), impression management through self-promotion, embellishment, lying, charm, and domination, and prefer high-status, competitive, and hierarchical environments to support their unstable, fragile, and impaired self-esteem.^[120]

Narcissism can thus be seen as a symptom of fundamentally low self-esteem, that is, lack of love towards oneself, but often accompanied by «an immense increase in self-esteem» based on «the defense mechanism of denial by overcompensation.»^[121]
«Idealized love of self…rejected the part of him» that he denigrates – «this destructive little child»^[122] within. Instead, the narcissist emphasizes their virtues in the presence of others, just to try to convince themself that they are a valuable person and to try to stop feeling ashamed for their faults;^[15] such «people with unrealistically inflated self-views, which may be especially unstable and highly vulnerable to negative information,…tend to have poor social skills.»^[2]: 126

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Baumeister, Roy F. (April 2001). «Violent Pride: Do people turn violent because of self-hate or self-love?,» in Scientific American, 284, No. 4, pp. 96–101
• Branden, N. (1969). The Psychology of Self-Esteem. New York: Bantam.
• Branden, N. (2001). The psychology of self-esteem: a revolutionary approach to self-understanding that launched a new era in modern psychology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 0787945269
• Burke, C. (2008) «Self-esteem: Why?; Why not?,» New York^{[ISBN missing]}
• Crocker J.; Park L. E. (2004). «The costly pursuit of self-esteem». Psychological Bulletin. 130 (3): 392–414. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.392. PMID 15122925.
• Franklin, Richard L. (1994). «Overcoming The Myth of Self-Worth: Reason and Fallacy in What You Say to Yourself.» ISBN 0963938703
• Hill, S.E. & Buss, D.M. (2006). «The Evolution of Self-Esteem.» In Michael Kernis, (Ed.), Self Esteem: Issues and Answers: A Sourcebook of Current Perspectives.. Psychology Press: New York. 328–333. Full text
• Lerner, Barbara (1985). «Self-Esteem and Excellence: The Choice and the Paradox,» American Educator, Winter 1985.
• Mecca, Andrew M., et al., (1989). The Social Importance of Self-esteem University of California Press, 1989. (ed; other editors included Neil J. Smelser and John Vasconcellos)
• Mruk, C. (2006). Self-Esteem research, theory, and practice: Toward a positive psychology of self-esteem (3rd ed.). New York: Springer.^{[ISBN missing]}
• Rodewalt F.; Tragakis M. W. (2003). «Self-esteem and self-regulation: Toward optimal studies of self-esteem». Psychological Inquiry. 14 (1): 66–70. doi:10.1207/s15327965pli1401_02.
• Ruggiero, Vincent R. (2000). «Bad Attitude: Confronting the Views That Hinder Student’s Learning» American Educator.
• Sedikides, C., & Gregg. A. P. (2003). «Portraits of the self.» In M. A. Hogg & J. Cooper (Eds.), Sage handbook of social psychology (pp. 110–138). London: Sage Publications.^{[ISBN missing]}
• Twenge, Jean M. (2007). Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled – and More Miserable Than Ever Before. Free Press. ISBN 978-0743276986

Self-esteem is your subjective sense of overall personal worth or value. Similar to self-respect, it describes your level of confidence in your abilities and attributes.

Having healthy self-esteem can influence your motivation, your mental well-being, and your overall quality of life. However, having self-esteem that is either too high or too low can be problematic. Better understanding what your unique level of self-esteem is can help you strike a balance that is just right for you.

Key elements of self-esteem include:

• Self-confidence
• Feelings of security
• Identity
• Sense of belonging
• Feeling of competence

Other terms often used interchangeably with self-esteem include self-worth, self-regard, and self-respect.

Why Self-Esteem Is Important

Self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, your relationships, your emotional health, and your overall well-being. It also influences motivation, as people with a healthy, positive view of themselves understand their potential and may feel inspired to take on new challenges.

Four key characteristics of healthy self-esteem are:

1. A firm understanding of one’s skills
2. The ability to maintain healthy relationships with others as a result of having a healthy relationship with oneself
3. Realistic and appropriate personal expectations
4. An understanding of one’s needs and the ability to express those needs

People with low self-esteem tend to feel less sure of their abilities and may doubt their decision-making process. They may not feel motivated to try novel things because they don’t believe they can reach their goals. Those with low self-esteem may have issues with relationships and expressing their needs. They may also experience low levels of confidence and feel unlovable and unworthy.

People with overly high self-esteem may overestimate their skills and may feel entitled to succeed, even without the abilities to back up their belief in themselves. They may struggle with relationship issues and block themselves from self-improvement because they are so fixated on seeing themselves as perfect.

Theories of Self-Esteem

Many theorists have written about the dynamics involved in the development of self-esteem. The concept of self-esteem plays an important role in psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which depicts esteem as one of the basic human motivations.

Maslow suggested that individuals need both appreciation from other people and inner self-respect to build esteem. Both of these needs must be fulfilled in order for an individual to grow as a person and reach self-actualization.

Factors That Affect Self-Esteem

There are many factors that can influence self-esteem. Your self-esteem may be impacted by:

• Age
• Disability
• Genetics
• Illness
• Physical abilities
• Socioeconomic status
• Thought patterns

Racism and discrimination have also been shown to have negative effects on self-esteem. Additionally, genetic factors that help shape a person’s personality can play a role, but life experiences are thought to be the most important factor.

Healthy Self-Esteem

There are some simple ways to tell if you have healthy self-esteem. You probably have healthy self-esteem if you:

• Avoid dwelling on past negative experiences
• Believe you are equal to everyone else, no better and no worse
• Express your needs
• Feel confident
• Have a positive outlook on life
• Say no when you want to
• See your overall strengths and weaknesses and accept them

Having healthy self-esteem can help motivate you to reach your goals, because you are able to navigate life knowing that you are capable of accomplishing what you set your mind to. Additionally, when you have healthy self-esteem, you are able to set appropriate boundaries in relationships and maintain a healthy relationship with yourself and others.

Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem may manifest in a variety of ways. If you have low self-esteem:

• You may believe that others are better than you.
• You may find expressing your needs difficult.
• You may focus on your weaknesses.
• You may frequently experience fear, self-doubt, and worry.
• You may have a negative outlook on life and feel a lack of control.
• You may have an intense fear of failure.
• You may have trouble accepting positive feedback.
• You may have trouble saying no and setting boundaries.
• You may put other people’s needs before your own.
• You may struggle with confidence.

Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. You may also find it difficult to pursue your goals and maintain healthy relationships. Having low self-esteem can seriously impact your quality of life and increases your risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Excessive Self-Esteem

Overly high self-esteem is often mislabeled as narcissism, however there are some distinct traits that differentiate these terms. Individuals with narcissistic traits may appear to have high self-esteem, but their self-esteem may be high or low and is unstable, constantly shifting depending on the given situation. Those with excessive self-esteem:

• May be preoccupied with being perfect
• May focus on always being right
• May believe they cannot fail
• May believe they are more skilled or better than others
• May express grandiose ideas
• May grossly overestimate their skills and abilities

How to Improve Self-Esteem

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to address problems with your perceptions of yourself and faith in your abilities. How do you build self-esteem? Some actions that you can take to help improve your self-esteem include:

• Become more aware of negative thoughts. Learn to identify the distorted thoughts that are impacting your self-worth.
• Challenge negative thinking patterns. When you find yourself engaging in negative thinking, try countering those thoughts with more realistic and/or positive ones. 
• Use positive self-talk. Practice reciting positive affirmations to yourself.
• Practice self-compassion. Practice forgiving yourself for past mistakes and move forward by accepting all parts of yourself.

Low self-esteem can contribute to or be a symptom of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. Consider speaking with a doctor or therapist about available treatment options, which may include psychotherapy (in-person or online), medications, or a combination of both.

A Word From Verywell

Though some of the causes of low self-esteem can’t be changed, such as genetic factors, early childhood experiences, and personality traits, there are steps you can take to feel more secure and valued. Remember that no one person is less worthy than the next. Keeping this in mind may help you maintain a healthy sense of self-esteem.

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The term “self-actualization” refers to the act of realising one’s full potential. Self-realization is a term that is often used interchangeably with self-actualization.

However, Self-esteem is a subjective assessment of an individual’s total worth. Self-regard and self-worth are two synonyms for the word self-esteem.

Key Takeaways

1. Self-Actualization is the realization of one’s full potential and the achievement of personal goals, while Self-Esteem is the evaluation of one’s worth and value.
2. Self-Actualization focuses more on personal growth and fulfillment, while Self-Esteem focuses more on self-worth and confidence.
3. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Actualization is a higher-level need, while Self-Esteem is a lower-level need.

Self-actualization is a more dynamic process that involves ongoing growth and development throughout an individual’s life. Self-esteem is a relatively stable trait that can fluctuate over time based on various factors such as experiences, social comparisons, and feedback from others.

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The notion of self-actualization is utilised in a larger meaning in today’s approach, or in the current scenario, to define as the complete potential attained by humans with the support of other personality traits such as determination and strong willpower.

Kurt Goldstein, who created the phrase and developed the conceptual analysis of self-actualization, defined it as the end destination reached or the goal set by all living creatures through realising their capacities.

Self-esteem is a subjective assessment of someone’s total worth. Self-regard and self-worth are two adjectives that are used as synonyms for the term “self-esteem.”

Self-esteem was first started as a ratio by William James, who coined the word. The success-to-pretension ratio is calculated. In today’s world, self-esteem is described as a person’s battle to gain a sense of self-worth.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Self Actualization	Self Esteem
First use	Kurt Goldstein, 1939.	William James, 1890
Original concept	Achieving final goals with all capabilities.	successes: pretensions.
Modern concept	Achieving goals by attaining full potential	Feeling self-worth.
According to Maslow	Highest position	Below Self-actualization, in the fourth level.
Other terms	Self-realisation	Self-worth, self-regard

What is Self Actualization?

The term self-actualization refers to a person’s ability to reach his or her full potential. Self-realization is a term that is frequently interchanged with self-actualization.

Self-actualization is ranked first in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Kurt Goldstein was the first to invent the term “Self-actualization” in 1939.

The notion of self-actualization is utilised in a larger meaning in today’s approach, or in the current scenario, to define as the complete potential attained by individuals with the support of other personality traits such as determination and strong willpower.

The phrase “self-actualization” was coined by Kurt Goldstein, who defined it as “the final destination attained or the objective set by every living person through actualizing the possibilities they possess.”

Self-actualized people are aware of their inner potential, have innovative ideas, and have strong interpersonal bonds. Furthermore, they have a positive outlook on the world.

What is Self Esteem?

The term “self-esteem” refers to a subjective assessment of an individual’s overall worth. Self-regard and self-worth are two words that are used as synonyms for the phrase self-esteem.

According to Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” theory, self-esteem occupies a fourth-level position below self-actualization, classifying self-esteem as one of the key esteem needs.

In 1890, the phrase “self-esteem” was coined for the first time. William James, on the other hand, was the one who started it. The phrase “self-esteem” was coined by William James, who expressed it as a ratio.

The success-to-pretensions ratio is calculated. In today’s world, self-esteem is described as an individual’s battle to gain a sense of self-worth.

People who have mastered the quality of self-esteem are thought to be proud and satisfied in all of their accomplishments, they have complete faith and belief in themselves that they can achieve anything they desire, and they are extremely sensitive to others’ feelings, particularly when it comes to needs.

Main Differences Between Self Actualization and Self Esteem

1. The concept of self-actualization refers to the fact of fulfilling an individual’s potential. On the other hand, self-esteem refers to the evaluation of an individual’s overall value subjectively.
2. The term, “Self-actualization” was coined for the first time in 1939, by Kurt Goldstein. On the other hand, the term, “self-esteem” was put into use for the first time in 1890. However, it was initiated by William James.
3. Kurt Goldstein, who coined the term and the conceptual analysis of self-actualization expressed it as the final destination achieved or the target set by every living being by actualising the capabilities they possess. On the other hand, William James, who put forward the concept of the term, “self-esteem” expressed it as a ratio. The ratio is taken of successes to pretensions.
4. In the modern day’s approach, or the present scenario, the concept of self-actualization is used in a broader sense to define as the full potential achieved by humans with the help of other personality traits like determination, strong willpower. On the other hand, Self-esteem in the modern world approach is defined as the struggle of an individual to get the feeling of self-worth. Understanding your value not doing something below your own set of principles and standards is what is defined self-esteem in today’s era.
5. According to the Hierarchy of Needs put forwarded by Maslow, the concept of self-actualization is placed at the topmost or highest order. On the other hand, According to the “Hierarchy of Needs” theory that was put forwarded by Maslow, self-esteem grabs a place below self-actualization in the fourth level defining self-esteem as one of the vital esteem needs.
6. The self-actualized people, knows their inner potential, possess creative ideas and strong bonding with other people. Moreover, they also possess an optimistic viewpoint viewing the world. On the other hand, The people who have mastered the quality of self-esteem are believed to be proud and satisfied in every small and big thing done by them, they have utmost faith and belief in themselves that they can acquire anything they want and are quite sensitive regarding feeling for others and especially when it comes to needs.
7. One of the words that are used interchangeably with self-actualization is self-realization. On the other hand, some of the words which are used as the synonyms of the word self-esteem are self-regard and self-worth.

References

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167286121007
2. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1983-12714-001

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.

People living in today’s society live in a fast paced and ever-changing world. These changes are largely a result of our various technological and informational breakthroughs.

However, whilst these things certainly do make life easier and more convenient, they have ultimately lead to a reduction in the personal stability that people once enjoyed.

No longer is it common to have one single job for life. No longer is it common to stay in one relationship for life. And no longer is it common to live, work and die in the place where you were born.

All of these changes, no matter how large or small they may be, affect people’s lives in different ways. Some of these changes may bring you joy and happiness, whilst others may bring you pain and sorrow.

It is therefore absolutely essential than in order for you to successfully survive through these changes, that you create a sense of stability within yourself.

This stability comes from having a clear sense of identity, confidence and self-worth. Or in other words, self-esteem.

What Influences Self Esteem?

Self esteem means much more than an innate sense of self-worth. Self esteem means having confidence in your ability to think, to cope with the challenges of life and a recognition that you are worthy of happiness and success. Trusting your mind and knowing that you are worthy of greatness is therefore the very essence of self-esteem.

Self esteem can be shaped by both internal and external factors. This means that both the things within you, and the things outside of you, can affect how you think and feel about yourself. In order to successfully build and maintain your self-esteem, both factors must be addressed.

1) Internal Influences

Internal factors are those that come from within you, and relate to how you treat yourself.

This could include things such as the way you talk to yourself (self talk), the way you think or the things you believe in. True self-esteem can only be obtained via these internal factors.

2) External Influences

External factors come from outside of you, such as from the environment in which you live and work. They can be transmitted either verbally or non verbally, and are usually sent from the people whom you see and interact with on a daily basis.

External factors play a big role in how you think and feel about yourself. However, do not make the mistake of relying solely upon them for the development of your self-esteem.

For if you do so, and circumstances in your life suddenly change, you will quickly find that your level of self-esteem suffers and so do you.

What is the cause of low self esteem?

Anything that makes you feel valuable, special, worthwhile, needed, important or anything else that makes you feel good, will raise your level of self-esteem. But the opposite is also true.

Anything that makes you feel bad such as a fear of failure, poverty, self-doubt, rejection or criticism will lower your feeling of self-worth and create low self-esteem.

So when you break things down to this level, it really is quite simple to understand. Things that make you feel good will raise your self-esteem. Things that make you feel bad will lower your self-esteem.

Of course, self-esteem is a bit more complicated than this, and there are many other factors which can play a role in shaping how you feel.

But if you can apply this basic principle of maximizing the good things in your life, and eliminating or reducing the bad, you will notice that your self-esteem will rapidly start to improve.

How self esteem influences your behavior

Self esteem is a motivator that inspires behavior, but behavior also inspires self-esteem. Therefore, there is a continuous feedback loop between the way you act and the level of your self-esteem. One cannot exist without the other.

For example, with high self-esteem you are more likely to persist in the face of difficulties. But with low self-esteem, you are more likely to give up or go through the motions without really trying or giving your best.

If you are persistent, then in all likelihood you will succeed more times than you fail. The net result of which will increase your level of confidence and self-worth.

But if you give up easily, or don’t try your best, then you will likely fail more often than you succeed which will then reduce your level of confidence and self-worth. Either way, your view of yourself will be reinforced.

Put simply, this means that you can improve the way you think and feel about yourself by improving the way you act. If you always try your best, never give up and act with integrity, then sooner or later success will come your way.

With that success will come higher levels of self-esteem, which will then bring further successes that generate even higher levels of self-esteem. Once you get it started, this self reinforcing feedback loop will build your self-esteem automatically over time which is why it is often said that success breeds success.

And this is the real value of having high self-esteem, as once developed, it will allow you to respond to new opportunities and challenges more appropriately and effectively than you once did. As a result, not only will you begin to feel better about yourself, but you will also find that you begin to live better too.

Your changing self esteem

The level of your self-esteem is not set once and for all in childhood. It can grow as you mature, or it can deteriorate. There are people whose self-esteem was higher at the age of 10 than 20, and the reverse is also true.

So remember, that self-esteem can fluctuate throughout your lifetime. It can rise and it can fall. I know mine certainly has.

I can think back to times in my life when my self-esteem reflected the choices I made in the face of various challenges. I can think of instances when I made choices that I am proud of, and with those choices, my self-esteem rose. But at the same time, I can also recall making choices that I regret, and which ultimately, lowered my self-esteem.

With regard to the choices that lowered my self-esteem, I think of times when I was unwilling to see what I saw and know what I knew. I found it easier to bury my head in the sand and ignore the obvious reality around me. I think of times when I needed to examine my feelings, but instead, I ignored them and pretended that everything was OK.

I think of times when I needed to walk away from a relationship, but instead, I struggled to keep it going. Times when I needed to stand up for my deepest feelings and assert my deepest needs, but instead, I remained quiet and hid what was within me, never expressing my true self.

Challenges and choices are a part of life

We all face challenges in life, and sometimes, we make choices that we are proud of, and other times, we make choices that we regret. In my opinion, the thing that really counts is not whether the choices you make are good or bad, but rather, what you learn from them.

Sometimes, the things that seem really bad turn out to be a blessing in disguise and end up improving your life in ways that you could have never imagined. This has happened to me on many occasions.

I remember when I broke up with my first proper girlfriend (when I say broke up, I mean she left me), I was really upset and felt like it was the worst possible thing that ever happened to me. It hurt me for a long time, but I got over her.

Now, I look back and am thankful for that experience, because I learned a lot from it and can see that it made me a stronger person. So now my attitude is that I no longer fear making mistakes or bad choices, because I know that each choice I make, whether good or bad, will still benefit me in the end.

This does not mean that I will experience no joy or pain from my choices, but rather, that I am willing to accept whatever lesson I have to learn whether I like it or not. If you can adopt this attitude, you too will finding developing your self-esteem to a higher level much easier to do.

Self Esteem & Your Personality

Your level of self-esteem is strongly correlated with your personality characteristics.

People with high self-esteem for example, are more likely to have personalities that bring them success in life, allow them to develop good relationships with other people, and most importantly, bring them happiness and fulfillment into their life.

People with low self-esteem however, are more likely to suffer from personalities that limit and restrict their life, thereby limiting the amount of success and happiness that they can experience.

The effect of self-esteem on your personality is an important thing to bear in mind, as it is often wrongly assumed that the only benefit of self-esteem is in how it makes you feel. Whilst this is partially correct, it is also true that your level of self-esteem affects how other people feel about you.

So let’s now have a look at the types of personalities that are commonly associated with either high or low self-esteem.

As you read each characteristic, make a quick mental note as to whether it is true or not in your life. This will help you gauge your current level of self-esteem and the type of personality you currently have as a result of it.

The High Self Esteem Personality

Some of the personality traits associated with a high level of self-esteem include:

• Rationality
• Intuitiveness
• Creativity
• Independence
• Flexibility
• Ability to manage change
• Admitting to mistakes
• Optimism
• Curiosity / Desire to learn
• Able to accept criticism
• At ease under pressure
• Belief in your abilities
• Calm and relaxed attitude
• Confidence when dealing with people
• Openness to new ideas and ways of thinking

These characteristics will expand your life and allow you to grow and develop as a person.

The Low Self Esteem Personality

Some of the characteristics associated with low self-esteem include:

• Irrationality
• Rigidity
• Defensiveness
• Self doubt
• Pessimism
• Negativity
• Blindness to reality
• Over controlling behavior
• Over dependence on people or things
• Fear of or hostility to other people
• Fear of the new or unfamiliar
• Rapid and sudden anger
• Inability to accept criticism
• Fear of looking foolish
• Having a closed mind
• Inability to accept new ideas
• Inability to manage pressure situations

These traits will limit your growth and development in direct proportion to your level of self-esteem.

How much does your personality allow you to grow?

Now that you are familiar with some of the personality characteristics associated with high and low self-esteem, perhaps you can now see why self-esteem is so important in determining the type of success and happiness that you achieve in life?

Self esteem is like growing a plant in a pot. The plant will grow, but ultimately its growth is limited by the size of the pot. Once its roots fill up the pot, the plant will no longer grow and may even die. But as soon as you move that plant into another pot, its roots will expand and the plant will grow bigger and stronger than it was before.

Your level of self-esteem is the pot in which you can grow and develop as a person. Low self-esteem will give you a small pot in which your growth and life will be limited.

High self-esteem will give you a large pot and provide you with plenty of room to grow into a strong, powerful and confident person that will eventually achieve their true potential in life. What sort of pot do you want your life to grow in?

When you have room to grow and are able fully express yourself for who you are, you will automatically improve your communication with others.

You will no longer be trying to impress people with what you say, and as a result, you will speak more openly, effectively and honestly. This is because with high self-esteem you will believe that what you are saying has meaning and value, and so will confidently express your thoughts and opinions.

However, with low self-esteem, communication is often muddy and ineffective. Rather than believing in what you say, you will instead be filled with uncertainty about your own thoughts and feelings, and anxiety about the listener’s response.

As a result, you will not express your true thoughts and feelings, but instead, will express what you think the other person wants to hear. Consequently, you will live your life for other people rather than living life for yourself.

Self-respect and self-esteem are two similar concepts that often confuse people. 

They add up to one’s self and even one’s relationship with other people. 

Because of this, they are often used interchangeably and the line between them has blurred.

So, how do you differentiate self-respect and self-esteem? 

Let’s take a closer look at these two concepts regarding the self. 

Let’s dive right into it.

Although having some kind of similarity, self-esteem and self-respect are two different concepts. 

Self-esteem stems from how you think and feel about yourself. It is how you value your abilities and skills. 

When you feel like you aren’t doing up to standards, you might have problems with your self-esteem. 

Basically, you get self-esteem when you feel satisfied after completing or finishing a challenge.

It is based on how you conduct yourself after an activity. However, it can be easily damaged by what other people say especially when they challenge your own skills.

Self-respect is a component of self-esteem and it has to do with the positive values you attribute to yourself such as honesty, confidence, humility, and having dignity and integrity. 

Related: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide To Gaining More Self Confidence

In other words, it is self-love. 

With self-respect, you live by your morals and the opinions of others will not easily sway you. 

It is not contingent on external factors such as success because you know that there will always be failures or people who are more knowledgeable. 

If you have self-respect, it can also help boost your self-esteem. 

To summarize, self-esteem is how you evaluate yourself and it can be negative or positive depending on your outlook. On the other hand, self-respect is when you learn to accept both and free yourself from the expectations of other people.

Related: 32 Characteristics Of Low Self-Esteem And Solutions

What Is Self Respect And Why Is It Important?

Self-respect is about loving yourself wholeheartedly and having dignity and honor with your own behavior, decisions, and choices. 

When you have self-respect, you will also treat other people the same kind of respect you have for yourself even if they do not show it back. It makes you feel good and allows you to have a more positive outlook on life. 

Self-respect is important because even when people look down on you, you can’t be put down because you already know your worth.

However, it does not mean that you should not take into consideration of what others are saying. Having respect for yourself means you can also take criticisms and reflect upon them. 

This makes you open to any changes so that you will become a better person. You also know when to say “no” to things you know that are not good for you mentally, emotionally, physically, and even financially. 

Related: Best Boosting Self Esteem Questions

What Is The Difference Between Pride And Self Respect?

The main difference between pride and self-respect is that pride is an excessive form of self-worth which can be destructive while self-respect encompasses all feelings of self-worth but still having honor and dignity. 

Pride is when you are looking for gratification for your actions and accomplishments. Having excessive pride borders on egotism and pompousness. 

Is Self Respect More Important Than Love?

Basically, without having self-respect, you can’t love yourself or other people. Self-respect allows you to be more confident about yourself and if you have it, you know how to decide for yourself and give your partner the respect they also deserve. 

What Are The Advantages Of Self Respect?

When you have self-respect or you highly value yourself, you also regard other people with the same respect. 

It helps in having a great relationship and better communication with them. Another advantage is that you have high confidence which will lead to achieving your dreams in life. 

With self-respect, you also get to establish your boundaries. You know when to agree or when to say “no” to things that are not aligned with your morals. 

Related: Best 15-Day Confidence Challenge With Lasting Results

What Are The Two Forms Of Self Respect?

Contemporary moral philosopher Stephen L. Darwall distinguished two kinds of respect: recognition respect and appraisal respect. 

Recognition respect is the disposition to give the appropriate regard to one’s being in terms of objects such as laws, rights, feelings, social institutions, and nature. 

This type of respect is a moral attitude if the object is regarded from a moral point of view, such as if it has moral worth. 

On the other hand, appraisal respect is the attitude of a positive assessment of people for their achievements or qualities. The objects of appraisal respect can be an individual, an individual’s merits, or those who are occupying some role. 

Related: 102 Hypnotic Affirmations For Self-Confidence

What Is Self Esteem And Why Is It Important?

Self-esteem is what one refers to as his own worth or value. It is heavily influenced by the feelings one musters from their own views of worthiness or unworthiness. 

Why is self-esteem important? 

Because it affects your confidence and your belief in yourself. Having high self-esteem can motivate you to do better and strive for your goals and dreams.
If you have low self-esteem, you always look down on yourself and give up on any efforts towards progress. 

Is Self Esteem the Same than Ego?

Despite having similarities, self-esteem is different from ego.
Self-esteem is having the confidence and knowledge to do something while the ego is usually accompanied by seeking attention and boastfulness.
It is self-serving and is not based on any knowledge.  

With self-esteem, you know who you truly are without being proud of it. 

Related: Self Concept Vs Self Esteem And Self Efficacy

What Are The Advantages Of Self Esteem?

When you have high self-esteem, you feel secure and have a healthy relationship with the people around you.

You are more open to feedback which lets you acquire and master new skills. Some other advantages of self-esteem are:

• Confident in making decisions
• Assertive in your opinions
• Have a better handle with stress and problems
• Clearly expressing your needs
• Be less critical of yourself and other people

How Are Self Esteem And Self Respect Related?

Self-esteem and self-respect are related in terms of your opinion of yourself. 

How you value or respect yourself adds to your self-esteem. 

If you think lowly of yourself, then your self-esteem also goes down. But if you regard yourself with the highest respect, your self-esteem goes up, making you an overall better person.

Related: How To Help A Man With Low Self-Esteem — Based On Science

What Is A Good Example Of Respect?

There are many ways to have self-respect. One of the best ways to have self-respect is being honest with yourself. We are not all perfect human beings as we all have our own flaws. 

The first thing in having respect for yourself is to be honest about who you are. You should not live like someone else and be true to yourself. 

However, it does not mean that when there are criticisms, you shouldn’t hear them. 

Having self-respect also means that you can change things within you that are worth changing. 

What is a Good Example of Self Esteem?

One of the best examples of self-esteem is having to communicate clearly and easily with the others around you. 

Self-esteem allows you to be assertive of your opinions and needs. When you try to hide your thoughts rather than voicing them out, it does not contribute to your well-being. 

Related: 22 Best Confidence Building Exercises Backed By Science

What Are The Causes Of Low Self Esteem?

.When you do not feel worthy of yourself, this may cause low self-esteem. We already know that self-esteem can be affected by external factors and here are some reasons which might lead to low self-esteem:

• Unhappy childhood with unsupportive parents
• Stressful life
• Poor academic performance
• Mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression
• Trauma or abuse
• Bad influences

What Are The Signs Of Low Self Esteem?

Do you have any doubts about your own abilities?

People who have low self-esteem usually look down on themselves.

If you suspect someone who has low or poor self-esteem, check out the following signs if they are exhibiting them:

• Sensitive to criticism
• Often avoids conflict with others
• Always feeling ashamed after failure
• Social withdrawal
• Indecisive
• Quick to give up 

Related: Ways To Stop Depending On External Validation

What Causes Lack Of Self Respect?

Our self-respect begins at birth and will constantly develop as we grow up.
The factors for having self-respect are stemmed from how we are treated and taught. 

When we have low respect for ourselves, it can lead to problems for yourself and for other people. But what causes the lack of self-respect? Here are some of the reasons:

• Letting the opinion of others control you
• Lack of knowledge
• Always under pressure
• Bullying or humiliation
• Not self-aware
• No belief in yourself and no boundaries

How Do I Protect My Self Respect?

Self-respect is important for our overall well being. If we want to value ourselves, we should protect our self-respect by doing the following:

• Accept yourself completely
• Forgive yourself for your mistakes
• Learn how to handle criticism
• Take care of your mind and body
• Take responsibility for your own actions
• Honor your morals and values

How Do I Respect Myself As A Woman?

Being a woman can be hard in a world which is dominated by men, which is why it is even more important for a woman to have respect for herself. 

If you are a woman who feels a little bit insecure, learn how to respect yourself by doing the following:

• Be confident of your own body
• Don’t put down other women
• Accept compliments and criticisms
• Strive to better every single day
• Stand up for yourself if needed
• Look after yourself

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