Self-esteem

[Hmm]

Greetings fellow aliens. :hi:

I see this concept being referred to a lot. How do you define it?

[Condor]

I define it as the evaluation of myself, based on my own standards.

[disregard]

It's hard to define, so I will define it (good self-esteem) in relation to my own life:

A stable sense of self-value throughout your days, whether your are popular or not, attractive or not, successful or not. It's a grounded sense of identity and worth.

[Uberfuhrer]

I don't define it, the dictionary does.

[Kora]

Does that even exist? [/teenage angst]

Now. Accepting oneself with all of our virtues and flaws objectively seen. Or something like that. But objective.

[Anja]

For me it plays out in "I'm okay, you're okay."

[GZA]

It is the continuum of your attitudes and perceptions about the world and about yourself. It is reflected in your optimism, enthusiasm, confidence, work ethic, or lack thereof of all of those.

[Members Only]

It work ethic, or lack thereof of all of those.

I can have high self-esteem, and a sub-par work ethic, for something I deem unworthy of my self.

[GZA]

There you have it then.

[INTJMom]

Greetings fellow aliens. :hi:

I see this concept being referred to a lot. How do you define it?
For me, I understand self-esteem best when I think of it as self-respect.
The more I do that I can respect myself for, the more self-esteem I build.

[prplchknz]

For me, I understand self-esteem best when I think of it as self-respect.
The more I do that I can respect myself for, the more self-esteem I build.

that could be my problem, I don't have self-respect so maybe that causes me to have low self-esteem. Or did I develope low self-esteem and in the process lost my self-respect?

I can't define it, all I know is I don't think I've ever had any. I've always thought myself as unworthy, even though I try to tell myself I am worthy, it doesn't work.

[millerm277]

My opinion of myself.

[Grayscale]

within our relationship to ourself, where we place ourselves relative to others.

[nolla]

It's ok to be me. I don't know anyone else I'd rather be.

[INTJMom]

that could be my problem, I don't have self-respect so maybe that causes me to have low self-esteem. Or did I develope low self-esteem and in the process lost my self-respect?

I can't define it, all I know is I don't think I've ever had any. I've always thought myself as unworthy, even though I try to tell myself I am worthy, it doesn't work.
That's like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg? :smile:

I've struggled with poor self-esteem and feelings of being unworthy of love for most of my life, too, but mine came from being abused as a child, so it's been a long healing process. Also I was depressed for a long time, and that is demoralizing as well.

Here's a cool site:
The Enneagram Type Test (http://russellrowe.com/the_enneagram_type_test.htm)
See if it has something to do with your enneagram.
Apparently, that can be a contributing factor, although it's another one of those "which came first" questions, I think.

[Kaizer]

me living by my principles (which should be universal etc) and at least meeting my standards based on those principles if not improving on them. self-respect more so maybe?