Self-esteem, or how much you value the person you are, greatly influences how you live your life. Individuals with a positive sense of themselves are more likely to seek promotions and less likely to interpret "constructive criticism" as a personal attack. People with high self-esteem are more willing to try new things, to enjoy a satisfying social life. They realize that their worth is not determined by externals such as material possessions, occupation, appearance, or what others think of them. On
the other hand, people with low self-esteem are more likely to feel
devastated when they make an error. They tend to reject new challenges,
believe that they are undeserving, and avoid meeting new people. People
with low self-esteem tend to be "oversensitive" and over-critical
of themselves. All of this results in problems with anxiety and depression,
compulsiveness, phobias, addictions or self-destructive behavior.
If you
endorsed one or more of the above items, you may have low self-esteem.
How you see yourself in large part determines how others see you. How
you treat yourself is mirrored in your interactions with others. |