Taking an Inside Look at Self-Esteem

Do you believe in yourself and in your abilities? Can you handle rejection and criticism in an objective and healthy manner, or does one negative comment completely shatter your self-view? Self-esteem is an important part of personal happiness, fulfilling relationships and achievement. Self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth. Research has shown key differences between individuals with high and low self-esteem.
So what is self-esteem? Ray Baumeister defines it as, “how you feel about yourself in general… whether you think you are pretty good, so-so, or not so good, overall” (p. 20). Both high and low self-esteem has good and bad qualities. The most common view of self-esteem is that having a high self-esteem is ideal and more beneficial than having a low self-esteem. Researchers have defined low self-esteem as scoring in the bottom have on a self-esteem scale (p.20). Very few people actually score on the low end of the scale, their scores closer to the middle range. So in sense, low self-esteem people do not think of themselves as completely bad, more so, they lack more positive view of themselves. High self-esteem includes self-confidence and appreciation for their abilities and accomplishments; whereas low self-esteem includes not believing in one’s self. Down sides to high self-esteem can become being conceited, egotistical, arrogant, and narcissistic. High self-esteem can lead to irritating others by being self-centered. Low self-esteem individuals tend to give up easily. Social anxiety and shyness is correlated to low self-esteem. High self-esteemers have clear and consistent ideas about themselves, whereas people with low self-esteem do not. People with low self-esteem are more likely to bec...

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...put others down to make themselves feel better. People accept information that makes them look good, but rejects and find faults in people who criticize them. For instance, when people take a test and perform well on it, the test is fair and valid. If they did badly on the test, than the test was bias. These techniques are common. Not everyone always use them, but most people do use some of them.
Self-esteem is the belief we have about ourselves. Healthy self-esteem exists when we believe we are valued, worthy, loved, and accepted. Unhealthy self-esteem exists when we believe ourselves to be incompetent, rejected, and unworthy. Not everyone is born with an in built sense of self-esteem. Sometimes it can be hard to develop confidence. High and low self-esteem has good and bad qualities, there needs to be a balance. You’re not always great, but sometimes you are.