Self-esteem
The Basic Idea
Have you ever felt a little down after having spent a considerable amount of time scrolling through social media? At one point or another, we have all gone on social media apps just to see our friends living their best lives: graduating with honors, receiving a promotion, going on the holiday of your dreams. Seeing others achieve things we never did or go places we have never gone can have an impact on our self-esteem.
Self-esteem refers to an individual’s overall evaluation of their own personal worth. Self-esteem is also used to describe how much one appreciates themselves. Colloquially, the terms ‘self-worth’ and ‘self-respect’ have also been used interchangeably with ‘self-esteem.’
Our experiences shape our self-esteem. When someone consistently receives negative comments from others, they are likely to experience lower self-esteem. It’s also affected by factors like self-awareness, self-confidence, and insecurities. In turn, these factors can be influenced by socioeconomic status,1 physical ability, racism, and discrimination.2
Our self-esteem tends to be at its lowest during our childhood years. It increases during adolescence, before reaching a relatively stable level during adulthood.
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.
– Carl R. Rogers in his book,On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy
About the Author
Joshua Loo
Joshua was a former content creator with a passion for behavioral science. He previously created content for The Decision Lab, and his insights continue to be valuable to our readers.
