What is Self-Esteem?

Self Esteem Definitions of self-esteem vary in their breadth and sophistication. But all agree that high self-esteem means that we appreciate ourselves and our personal worth. More specifically, it means:

we have a positive attitude
we value ourselves highly
we're convinced of our own abilities.
we see ourselves as competent, in control of our own lives and able to do what we want.

In addition, we compare ourselves favourably with others.

Low self-esteem can lead to feelings of helplessness, powerlessness and even depression.

Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, included self-esteem in his hierarchy of human needs. He described two forms of esteem: the need for respect from others and the need for self-respect, or inner self-esteem.

Respect from others includes recognition, acceptance, status, and appreciation, and was believed to be more fragile and easily lost than inner self-esteem. According to Maslow, without the fulfilment of the self-esteem need, individuals will be driven to seek it and unable to grow and obtain what he termed 'self-actualization'.

Modern theories of self-esteem explore the reasons why humans are motivated to maintain a high regard for themselves.

The word 'esteem' comes from a Latin word that means 'to estimate'. Self-esteem is how you estimate yourself. To do that, you need to ask yourself certain questions:

Do I like myself?
Do I think I'm a good human being?
Am I someone deserving of love?
Do I deserve happiness?
Do I feel deep down that I'm an okay person?

People with low self-esteem find it hard to answer yes to these questions. Perhaps your child is one of them. If so, what can be done?

What can we do to raise my child’s self-esteem?

There is much that we can do to raise your child’s self-esteem. It isn't something we can do overnight, it takes time. Building self-esteem is a process that one must go through, and for that reason, we find that the help and support we give is important to keep young people focused and on track.