The esteem It is the self-concept or perception that a person has of himself. It is a construction that begins to form in childhood and continues throughout life. This self-concept is modified or altered depending on personal experiences and the environment in which the person grows and develops.
Who I am, how I am, what my body is like, what things I like, how is my performance at work or in social relationships; the answers that a person gives to all these questions form the image they have of themselves.
Types of self-esteem
Self-esteem is related to concepts such as self-worth and self-confidence. It is commonly divided between high and low.
- A person with High self-steem She is one who has confidence and a high sense of worth for herself. She is strong-willed and motivated and enthusiastic. He develops a compassionate, realistic and respectful look towards himself and towards others. For instance: a teenager who is encouraged to show a song he composed.
- A person with low selfsteem It is one that finds it difficult to value and recognize the characteristics that differentiate it from others. Has a negative inner speech, little self-confidence. For instance: a girl who does not play volleyball with her classmates for fear of doing it wrong.
The formation of self-esteem has its foundations in early childhood (influenced by parents and the family environment). Throughout his life, the person can work on his thoughts, attitudes and prejudices to improve the value he has of himself.
Both types of self-esteem can be directed to some specific attributes of the person or to the person in general. For instance: A child may feel uncomfortable every time he has to solve a math problem because he feels unfit, but he can show great self-confidence when interacting with his peers.
Characteristics of the person with high self-esteem
- Explore its full potential.
- Has confidence in setting goals and tries to achieve them.
- Create an environment of affection and support around him.
- Generates ties of respect and empathy with herself and with others.
- It develops: self-knowledge (I know who I am), acceptance (I accept myself as I am), overcoming (I try to improve what I am), authenticity (I show and share what I am).
- It has a careful emotional balance.
- Know the limits and weaknesses and live with them.
- Trust your own judgment when deciding and acting.
- It is recognized in equal dignity with other people.
- Recognize differences and diversity of abilities, personalities, and talents.
Characteristics of the person with low self-esteem
- She shows a lack of compassion for herself.
- You tend to compare yourself to others.
- Seek approval from other people.
- You feel insecure about your appearance or personal abilities.
- It can lead to isolation, suffering from social phobias, or experiencing a feeling of emptiness and misunderstanding.
- Her low self-esteem may be caused by a failure to fulfill her parents’ expectations of her.
- It leads to emotional and psychic disorders.
- He cannot admire his talents or live harmoniously with his weaknesses.
- Your low self-esteem can be rooted in the negative influence of other people or traumatic experiences.
- You can work looking for motivations and giving importance to self-worth to improve your self-esteem.
Self-esteem and adolescence
Self-esteem is a concept from psychology. It has been included by the psychologist Abraham Maslow within his pyramid (psychological theory about human needs) as a basic need of the human being necessary for his motivation, to know himself and to improve himself.
Adolescence is the period of change in which one passes from childhood to adult life. There there is a discovery of identity (psychological, sexual, interests). In this stage, new emotions and stimuli are sought, the field of relationships is expanded and the image itself is consolidated. It is a stage where the adolescent knows himself, learns to respect himself and strengthens his self-confidence.
Examples of high self-esteem
- A teacher who encourages student participation in class.
- A woman who starts her own business.
- A loving and interested person for the good of others
- A teenager who manages to recover after the loss of a loved one.
- An employee who admits to his boss that he was wrong, but wants to try again.
- A teenager who learns to play a new instrument and is confident that he can do it.
- A young man who is encouraged to call the girl of the class that he likes.
- A person who rejoices in the achievements of others.
- A child who is excited about being a firefighter in the future.
Examples of low self-esteem
- A child suffering from social phobias.
- A man with severe depression that leads him to use substances to harm himself.
- A student who does not participate in class for fear of saying the wrong thing.
- A woman who feels insecure with her body.
- A teenager who clings to a violent partner who does not value her.
- A person with anxiety disorders.
- A teenager who needs the endorsement of his parents to give his opinion.
- A woman who blames her marriage on her children.
- A person with frequent feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness.