Self-esteem is a widely used term and a concept that is talked about a lot today, however, sometimes, in the wrong way. Well, self-esteem goes far beyond the image, it is a subjective assessment that is configured during experiences, mainly during childhood, although it can change throughout life. Therefore, self-esteem can be worked on and improved.
In this Psychology-Online article, we will see what is self-esteem in psychology with practical examples, as well as the types of self-esteem, the importance it has and some strategies to improve it.
What is self-esteem
Far from what we think, self-esteem is not about reflecting an attractive physique in the mirror, nor is it about constantly complimenting ourselves. It is something more complex that involves different components of the relationship with oneself. Self-esteem is the assessment that a person makes of themselves. It is a subjective and emotional perception about ourselves based on self-concept.
Self-concept is the idea we have of ourselves, who we are and how we are. We could say that self-concept is a list of characteristics, while self-esteem is the positive or negative appreciation of the characteristics and the importance they have. Furthermore, self-esteem can be determined by the way one acts with oneself and with others. A person with healthy self-esteem she respects herself, takes care of herself, trusts herself, treats others with respect and kindness and expects good treatment by others.
Types of self-esteem
This assessment can be made in different areas of a person’s life, that is why we talk about personal, academic, work self-esteem… In different areas, a person can have a vision of their characteristics and make a different assessment. In addition to this differentiation, the main classification of the types of self-esteem would be the following:
- Positive and stable self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is characterized by being based on a realistic self-concept and making a positive assessment of it. That is, the person with positive self-esteem knows himself, recognizes his characteristics realistically, and evaluates them positively. He may see characteristics of himself that he likes more and characteristics that he likes less, but on a global level, he considers himself a valuable person. On the other hand, stable self-esteem is one that is based on one’s own criteria and has solid foundations. Therefore, it remains more stable over time, despite external circumstances and the opinions of other people. This is the type of self-esteem we refer to when we talk about healthy self-esteem.
- Positive and unstable self-esteem. As we have seen, positive self-esteem involves a good assessment of oneself. Unstable self-esteem is one that depends on both internal and external factors and that changes depending on the context. Unstable self-esteem is not well supported by one’s own criteria or well anchored, which means that in the face of an event, it can falter. For example, a person who stops feeling valuable after failing an exam or after a negative comment from their partner.
- Negative and stable self-esteem. Negative self-esteem is that which involves a negative evaluation. The person with a negative self-esteem does not feel comfortable with his self-concept, the characteristics that he sees in himself / values in a negative way. You don’t know yourself, you don’t have a realistic view of yourself and you don’t like the image you have of him or her. In this case, being stable, it means that this negative assessment is strongly established and does not usually vary depending on events.
- Negative and unstable self-esteem. In this case, as we have seen, negative self-esteem is the negative assessment of oneself. Furthermore, being unstable, it changes depending on events.
- inflated self-esteem. This type of self-esteem is characterized by a low level of self-knowledge that is disguised as “high self-esteem.” People with inflated self-esteem do not have a realistic self-concept, they hide the need for external recognition, they do not engage in self-criticism and they do not admit mistakes.
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The importance of self-esteem
Self-esteem, the value we give to ourselves, is so important that it is considered the basis of psychological health. And it is no wonder, because depending on how we feel about ourselves and the importance we give to ourselves, we will treat ourselves and others in one way or another. A person who considers themselves valuable and important, who has healthy self-esteem, relates in a healthy way with themselves and with others. Positive and stable self-esteem allows:
- Have an appreciation adjusted to one’s own reality.
- Know what knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths, etc., you have and what you do not have.
- Loving yourself despite making mistakes.
- Be aware that you deserve good treatment from others.
- Treat others correctly, with empathy, understanding and honesty.
- Take care of yourself: offer yourself a nutritious and healthy diet, allow yourself to rest as necessary, give your body the activity that benefits it.
- Treat yourself well, take care of your internal dialogue.
- Give the physical the importance it has and no more.
- Feeling valuable just as you are, even knowing that you can always improve.
- Listen to the opinions of others and reflect before taking them as true or false.
- Give more weight to one’s own criteria than to that of others when it comes to evaluating oneself.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Branden, N. (1993). Power of Self-Esteem. Paidos Iberica, Ediciones SA
- Congost, S. (2015). automatic self-esteem. Editorial Planeta, SA
- Quintilla, H.G. (2018). Self-esteem to live: How to trust yourself and achieve what you want. Paidós Editions.