About Self Esteem

About Self Esteem

Self-esteem is a basic conception of one’s own worthiness—self-love, self-respect, self-acceptance. According to McLean & Jahnke, “self-esteem is honoring a positive, compassionate view of oneself…people with low self-esteem identify with the negative messages they have received.”

Self-esteem is not self-centeredness or egotism. On the contrary, people with positive self-esteem will seek to learn what they don’t know. They can easily admit and learn from mistakes, acknowledge the talents of others, and accept praise with humility instead of vanity.

Healthy self-esteem allows people to explore what beliefs and attitudes they may wish to change, and gives them the ability to recognize that they are more than our beliefs and attitudes. This frees people to take risks and choose growth. Owning this power of control and using it wisely is a healing experience.

See bibliography for references