When talking about self-esteem as a fundamental component of personal growth and happiness, it is necessary to explain what it is and who or what it draws from for its construction. Therefore, here we will see the most important aspects of self-esteem that impact personality
We will begin by explaining that self-esteem is the result of the evaluation we carry out of ourselves by perceiving ourselves in comparison with others and at the same time it is the way in which we interpret how the other values us. These aspects determine “how we feel” about ourselves and our characteristics.
It is important to explain that self-esteem develops while being influenced by self-concept (which is what we think about ourselves), and temperament, which is the intensity with which we react and manage moods and emotions.
Self-esteem, at the behavioral level, has three areas, which we will describe through the following questions:
Dimensions of self-esteem
In turn, self-esteem has different dimensions, among which are:
1. Familiar
Refers to the responses that the family group gives back to the child, the responses by which the child perceives himself as part of the family. Let’s exemplify this dimension from a negative response, understanding that in another context it can be positive; “Arturo (3 years old), why don’t you sit still and watch the movie like your sister (8 years old)?” Arturo just wants to move, but in the end he ends up interpreting the following; “I am not able to stay still like my sister, I am bad because I move and therefore I am the troublemaker at home.”
Continuing along the lines of the previous example, we will say that from this dimension, when valuing himself as unruly, he considers that he is less loved than his sister. The affective dimension responds to how one sees oneself and how one defines one’s personality traits
3. Physics
Suppose the assessment of everything that has to do with the body and its skills If Arturo looks tall, because he is taller than his teammates, he may consider his height as a strength when playing basketball.
4.Social
Answer that If we feel loved by the other, that feeling gives us the idea of belonging to the group and at the same time it allows us to face different demands from the social environment.
5. Academic
It refers to whether or not we feel capable of performing a task. It should be clarified that this feeling is based on our aptitude as good or bad students.
Differences between high and low self-esteem
All these dimensions make up the interpretation that will give rise to what we call self-esteem, which can be high or low; the distinction we will address below.
Why is it important to make a high or low value interpretation of our self-esteem, or that of our children, students, etc.? Because When self-esteem is high, positive self-evaluation gives rise to the ability to face different situations in the following ways:
All these skills typical of high self-esteem allow us to face new or stressful situations and overcome them by seeking creative solutions to the problems that may arise.
However, What happens when self-esteem is low? Low self-esteem manifests itself with the following typical characteristics of people who present it:
Conclusion
We can consider, following the understanding of what low self-esteem implies, that Promoting high self-esteem is essential for personal growth as well as for their training. In fact, in children and adolescents, self-esteem directly influences their learning, interpersonal relationships, and self-concept.
According to statistics, in Spain 2% of the child population suffers from depression and this is directly related to self-esteem. Therefore, it is necessary to create a space for training and guidance so that children, adolescents AND adults form a secure self-esteem, feeling valuable and capable and this ultimately translates into being a happy person.
Thus, self-esteem overlaps with all areas of well-being and affects the remission or maintenance of possible very common psychological problems. Knowing how to cultivate a good self-concept not only helps you commit to psychotherapy treatment; In addition, it makes it easier to develop new and exciting ways of living life.
