External Factors

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Many teenagers are just discovering who they are, and it is a hard journey. There are many ups and downs but, sooner or later we will figure it out. Knowing an understanding who you are is a crucial part in happiness and high self esteem. By recognizing the internal and external factors that affect someones self respect and by reducing, removing or changing them, it can improve their self respect and have a positive impact on themselves. There are several internal struggles that can affect someone's self-respect and self-esteem. These internal factors include a person’s self-expectations, confidence, and their mental health. As teenagers, we set expectations of ourselves that are out of our reach. These goals are unrealistic and cause us to …show more content…

External factors are those things occurring in your environment around you that are often out of your direct control but will still have an effect on your self-respect. Expectations from peers can cause people to act in behavior unlike them. Finch was viewed as a legend by his classmates and was well respected but, us readers view him as an afraid and dysfunctional as we see what he’s really thinking. Finch was also subject to bullying from his peers and exposed to an abusive family environment. These external factors were not removed but rather increased and continued to undermine his self-respect. When these external factors were allowed to remain in Finch’s life, they continued to ultimately affect his overall well being and …show more content…

The reality of being safe means being self aware and self assured that life is in adequate place. An example of this is when Finch’s home life is in a bad place and his mindset starts to fall apart too. This lack of security has a negative impact on his sheltered attitude. Similarly, valuing yourself is an important part in keeping a healthy self esteem. When you accept your importance then you believe that other people care about you too. In Finch's case he believed he was worthless, on page 227, Finch tells Violet “I’m broken, and no one can fix it. I’ve tried. I’m still trying. I can’t love anyone because it’s not fair to anyone who loves me back.” Violet on the other hand disagrees as she doesn’t notice the broken part of him. As well as being valued, being yourself and happiness are just as important for a beings self-respect. When you see lots of positives in yourself, you're naturally happier with your life. Towards the end of the book Finch is confused with who he really is. Due to him being unsure he hides behind all these fake Finches (slacker Finch, 80s FInch etc.), he loses himself slowly with these changing

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