Back to: Gender, School and Society- Unit 3
In the context of psychology, self-esteem is a term used to refer to a person’s overall subjective sense of personal value and worth. It can be defined as the amount of appreciation a person has for himself or herself regardless of the circumstances. A lot of factors may contribute to defining self-esteem, some of which include self-confidence, identity, sense of belonging, feeling of security, and feeling of competence. Few terms that are often used interchangeably with self-esteem are self-regard, self-respect, and self-worth.
Benefits of Self-Esteem
The benefits of self-esteem are as follows:
Sense of Purpose
Self-esteem allows individuals to have a sense of purpose in life.
Positive Outlook
People with high self-esteem can have a positive outlook on life.
Realistic
Self-esteem enables people to accept themselves and accept reality as well.
Value of Self
Self-esteem allows one to appreciate their value and worth regardless of the opinion of others.
Communication Skill
Self-esteem helps individuals to improve their communication skills.
Drive for Success
Self-esteem allows people to take on new challenges and achieve success in life.
Ability to Form Relationships
Self-esteem enables people to form new and valuable relationships.
Ability to Take on Challenges
Self-esteem removes the fear of new challenges from people and helps them be courageous.
Resilience
Self-esteem develops individuals into resilient and self-sufficient human beings.
High Motivation
Self-esteem never leads people to run out of motivation and it always keeps them highly motivated.
Disadvantages of Self-Esteem
The main disadvantages of self-esteem are as follows:
Overconfidence
Too much self-esteem may lead people to become overconfident.
Affects Performance
People with high self-esteem may sometimes face failures in their performance.
The Pretense of Humility
Due to high self-esteem, some people may pretend their humble.
Emotional Problems
Due to the suppression of problems, sometimes, individuals may face emotional problems.
Delusional
The overflow of positivity may sometimes lead individuals with self-esteem to be deluded from reality.
Lack of Confidence
Lack of self-esteem may also lead to a lack of confidence among individuals.
Poor Academic Performance
Those who have poor self-esteem may face problems in academics as well.
Substance Abuse
Those who have low self-esteem may be more prone to substance and drug abuse.
Affects Career
Those with low self-esteem may not be able to take advantage of their career opportunities
Emotional and mental health problems
Low self-esteem can lead to anxiety, stress, depression, and loneliness too.
Importance of Self-Esteem
The importance of self-esteem is as follows:
Decision-Making
People with better self-esteem can make better and more helpful decisions.
Relationships
Self-esteem is also highly essential for establishing and maintaining relationships.
Emotional Health
Self-esteem is also important for maintaining one’s emotional well-being.
Mental Health
Self-esteem is important to avoid stress and have good mental health and well-being.
Overall Well-Being
People with high self-esteem can lead a better quality of life and enjoy overall well-being.
Self-esteem plays an important role because it has a huge impact on your decision-making process, your emotional health, your mental health, your relationships, and your overall well-being. It also impacts the amount of motivation you have. People with healthy self-esteem and a positive view of themselves recognize their potential and may feel more inspired to take on new challenges than those with low self-esteem.
