Self-esteem is having a positive attitude towards yourself, loving yourself as you are, and respecting yourself. There are people who have it very high, which means that they value themselves as they are, and other people, on the other hand, who suffer from a lack of it, which causes insecurities in their daily lives. A lack of this self-consideration has in turn associated social and integration problems since the person who suffers it tend to isolate himself.
Indeed, self-esteem is related to the attitude that one has about oneself. If this attitude is positive, the relationship with the environment will also be seen as a safe and welcoming space. If, on the other hand, you have a negative and undervalued conception of yourself, then the world can become dangerous and unsafe.
As might be expected, each person develops this vision of himself in a positive or negative way throughout his life, depending on the influence of various factors, among others the experiences and events that happen to him over time.
Why is it important to develop positive self-perception?
It is very important as an individual to develop, work on, and improve self-esteem every day in order to feel comfortable with yourself. This concept directly influences mood and behavior, therefore, one must learn how to raise self-esteem to be happier and have a better chance of success in the activities undertaken.
Reasons why you should learn to raise self-esteem
When a person has an appreciation of their own person, they feel better, more confident, and secure and in tune with their interior and with everything around them.
Self-knowledge is important when working on this concept, since knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses enables the person to work on their virtues. In this way, it is possible to achieve self-realization as people and to have a more positive vision of oneself and, therefore, of the world.
On the other hand, facing the world with a positive vision makes it easier to achieve goals and objectives. Psychologists call this attitude the self-fulfilling prophecy. To understand it better, an illustrative example is enough. If a student with low self-esteem believes that he will not pass the course, it is more than likely that he will not succeed. The main reason is that you will not do all the things necessary to overcome it: prepare thoroughly for exams, homework …
This lack of self-confidence often leads to the abandonment of goals and objectives. On the other hand, when you have high self-esteem, a positive vision, and a proactive attitude, you can achieve everything or almost everything that each individual proposes.
Finally, a person who feels good about himself and is in good health in this sense relates better to the environment and is more sociable. You will not have difficulties meeting and establishing contact with new people, nor will you have the slightest problem adapting to different social environments, interacting in a positive way, and maintaining lasting relationships.
What does it take to develop self-esteem?
There are a number of factors that are required to develop this personality factor. The first one is essential and is about self – knowledge. Knowing oneself as it is, with its virtues and defects, marks the key to achieving the second of the objectives.
The second point is self-acceptance. The person who really knows himself must learn to accept himself as he is, to value himself, and to love himself unconditionally, in all the contexts that life faces him.
The third aspect that must be worked on is to get the maximum potential. Once the individual is known and accepted, must work to get the most out of it. When you know your strengths, you have to focus on them, enhance them, and develop them.
The fourth aspect tries to minimize weak points. In the same way that it is important to know the virtues to develop them, you have to work on the defects to minimize them. They should not be forgotten, they should be worked with patience because it is already known that it is the Achilles heel.
Can too high self-esteem be negative?
Self-esteem is not the same as what psychologists call a grandiosity self-assessment. The self-assessment of greatness is a positive distorted view of yourself, which consists of looking much better than you really are. Examples are people who are considered narcissistic, those with delusions of grandeur, or bipolar people in a manic state. In the latter case, they represent a danger to themselves because they believe they are capable of everything and unstoppable.
Excessive self-esteem can only become negative if you are not aware of it, but in many cases, it simply develops as an adaptive mechanism to achieve goals. Examples of this type are high self-confidence to achieve goals, such as a job, maintain motivation during the preparation of examinations …
