What is self-esteem in psychology

Self-esteem is a widely used term and a concept that is talked about a lot today, however, sometimes, in a wrong way. Well, self-esteem goes far beyond the image, it is a subjective assessment that is configured during experiences, mainly in childhood, although it may change throughout the lifetime. Therefore, self-esteem can be worked on and improved.

In this Psychology-Online article, we will see what is self-esteem in psychology with practical examples, as well as the types of self-esteem, the importance it has and some strategies to improve it.

Index

1. What is self esteem
2. Types of self-esteem
3. The importance of self-esteem

Far from what you think, self-esteem is not reflecting an attractive physique in the mirror, nor is it constantly saying compliments. It is something more complex that involves different components of the relationship with oneself. Self-esteem is the assessment that a person makes of himself. It is a subjective and emotional perception about ourselves based on self-concept.

Self-concept is the idea we have of ourselves, of who we are and how we are. We could say that self-concept is a list of characteristics, while self-esteem is the positive or negative appreciation of the characteristics and the importance they have. In addition, self-esteem can be determined by the way of acting with oneself and with others. A person with a healthy self-esteem respects herself, takes care of herself, trusts herself, treats others with respect and kindness and expects good treatment by others.

This assessment can be carried out in different areas of a person's life, that is why we talk about personal, academic, work self-esteem... In the different areas, a person can have a vision of her characteristics and make a different assessment. In addition to this differentiation, the main classification of the types of self-esteem would be the following:

• Positive and stable self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is characterized by being based on a realistic self-concept and making a positive assessment of it. That is, the person with a positive self-esteem knows himself, recognizes her characteristics in a realistic way and the assessment he makes of it is positive. You can see characteristics of yourself that you like more and characteristics that you like less, but on a global level, you consider yourself a valuable person. On the other hand, stable self-esteem is that which is based on one's own criteria and which has solid foundations. Therefore, it remains more stable over time, despite external circumstances and the opinion of other people. This is the kind of self-esteem we mean when we talk about healthy self esteem.
• Positive and unstable self-esteem. As we have seen, positive self-esteem supposes a good evaluation of oneself. Unstable self-esteem is one that depends on both internal and external factors and that changes depending on the context. Unstable self-esteem is not well supported by one's own criteria or well anchored, that means that in the face of an event, it can stagger. For example, a person who stops feeling valuable after failing an exam or after a negative comment from her partner.
• Negative and stable self-esteem. Negative self-esteem is the one that supposes a negative evaluation. The person with a negative self-esteem does not feel comfortable with his self-concept, the characteristics that he sees in himself he values ​​negatively. You do not know yourself, you do not have a realistic vision of yourself and you do not like the image you have of him or her. In this case, being stable, it means that this negative assessment is strongly established and that it does not usually vary depending on the events.
• Negative and unstable self-esteem. In this case, as we have seen, negative self-esteem is the negative assessment of oneself. In addition, being unstable, it is changeable depending on the events.
• Inflated self esteem. This type of self-esteem is characterized by a low level of self-knowledge that is disguised as a "high self-esteem." People with inflated self-esteem do not have a realistic self-concept, they hide the need for external recognition, they do not make self-criticism and they do not admit mistakes.

In the following article, you will find more information about The 5 types of self-esteem and their characteristics.

Self-esteem, the value we place on ourselves, is so important that it is considered the basis of psychological health. And it is not for less, because depending on how we feel about ourselves and the importance we give ourselves, we will treat ourselves and others in one way or another. A person who considers himself valuable and important, who has a healthy self-esteem, relates in a healthy way with himself and with others. Positive and stable self-esteem allows:

• Have an appreciation adjusted to one's own reality.
• Know what knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths, etc., you have and which you do not have.
• Loving oneself despite being wrong.
• Be aware that you deserve good treatment from others.
• Treat others correctly, from empathy, understanding and honesty.
• Take care of yourself: offer yourself a nutritious and healthy diet, allow yourself to rest as necessary, give your body the activity that favors it.
• Treat yourself well, take care of your internal dialogue.
• Give the physical the importance that he has and no more.
• Feeling valuable as you are, even knowing that you can always improve.
• Listen to the opinions of others and reflect before taking them as true or false.
• Give more personal to one's own criteria than to someone else's in terms of self-assessment.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is self-esteem in psychology, we recommend that you enter our category of Personal growth and self-help.

• Branden, N. (1993). Power of Self Esteem. Paidos Iberica, Ediciones S. TO.
• Congost, S. (2015). Automatic self-esteem. Editorial Planeta, S. TO.
• Limerick, H. G. (2018). Self-esteem for living: How to trust yourself and achieve what you want. Paidós Editions.