Essay On Low Self-Esteem

Self-esteem refers to the positive (high self-esteem) or negative (low self-esteem) feelings that we have about ourselves. We experience the positive feelings of high self-esteem when we believe that we are good and worthy and that others view us positively. We experience the negative feelings of low self-esteem when we believe that we are inadequate and less worthy than others (Stangor, 2010).

There is considerable evidence that achieving self-esteem or – perhaps more significant – avoiding low self-esteem is important for living a happy, productive, and healthy life (Harter, 1999). Numerous prospective studies of children, adolescents, and young adults with high self-esteem have predicted positive outcomes for a wide range of behaviors, whereas similar prospective studies of low-self-esteem children, adolescents, and young adults suggest that low self-esteem increases susceptibility to a wide range of negative or problematic outcomes, such as depression, eating disorders, teenage pregnancy, victimization, forming and maintain close relationships, participation in antisocial behaviors, substance abuse, suicide ideation, and attempted suicide. Additionally, there are many

393). This analysis of self-esteem has its roots in the observation that threats or challenges to individuals with high self-esteem in valued domains often produce a performance-orientation response. That is, instead of responding to threats or challenges as a means to learning, these people challenge the feedback or engage in self-destructive behaviors. Among other things, they become preoccupied with their self-concept at the expense of relationships with others, and when success is uncertain, they become anxious and do things that undermine their likelihood of succeeding, such as self-handicapping and procrastination (Franken,