Self-esteem: low, high & healthy
Self-esteem is the intellectual and emotional assessment of our value. Its foundation begins in our childhood, when we were still biologically and emotionally dependent while it is formed and reshaped gradually over time according to our experiences, affecting our development in every area of our lives.
Self-esteem can be:
Overly high: It is the feeling of superiority over others. These people are critical and arrogant, justify their attitude with excuses, while overlooking their own flaws.
Low: People with low self-esteem feel inferior to others. They value others' opinions more than their own and focus on their flaws rather than their merits. They fear failure and consider others better than themselves.
Healthy: It is the accurate and balanced self-assessment. These individuals recognize and accept both their merits and flaws. They have realistic expectations for themselves and others.
Causes of low self-esteem:
- Difficult andstressful life experiences
- Traumas
- Problems of physical or mental health
- Financial problems
- Limited or problematic social interactions
- Parents who create insecure bonds, critical, rejecting, degrading, cold, bullying, overprotective. These parents transmit to their children a distorted perception of their value, i.e. a problematically low self-confidence.
People with low self-esteem have
→ persistent anxiety and doubts about their performance
→ a sense of worthlessness and inadequacy
→ inferiority complex
→ constant self-reproach
→ hatred for themselves
Conversely, people with high self-esteem are characterized by:
→ Lack of self-improvement. Considering themselves perfect, they don't need to change anything and are blind to the mistakes they make
→ Problems of socialization and relationships. Because these people need praise and confirmation, when this doesn't happen they react angrily and friends distance themselves.
→ Inability to manage criticism. These people find it difficult to manage criticism in a good way. They believe that any criticism of them is false and is made because they are jealous.
On the other hand, people who have healthy self-esteem
→ Are able to make decisions
→ Pursue what they consider important for them
→ Recognize their strengths and positive aspects
→ Manage their mistakes
→ Love themselves
→ Believe in themselves
The establishment of self-esteem comes from the image we have formed of ourselves, but also from the image of ourselves in relation to the perceptions and reactions of others towards us. However, the change and improvement of our self-esteem is possible if we give ourselves a chance.