The Two Types of Self-Esteem and How You Can Boost It

Self-esteem, it is one of psychology's concepts that define us. It is the driving force between our behavior towards ourselves and even towards others. Self-esteem is our own evaluation of our own worthliness and our judgment towards ourselves. Other words for self-esteem are self-respect, self-regard, or self-worth. It even serves as a predictor of outcomes like academic achievement, the success or failure of a relationship, and even general success in life. Self-esteem is that important, and having positive self-esteem is a must in life, if you want to enjoy a fruitful and happy life.

So how does a person develop positive or negative self-esteem? According to social theorists in psychology, our self-esteem's development depends on our experiences in life. The most popular and controversial psychologist of all time, Sigmund Freud, said, "The child is the father of the man." Meaning, the experiences you had when you were a child shape who you are as an adult. So early childhood experiences build the foundation of your feelings towards yourself.

In early childhood, parents are the most significant people in a child's life. Positive or negative feelings are derived from how your parents satisfied your needs for attention and security. As you age, you enter the school years, and academic achievement now becomes your source of your positive and negative feelings about yourself. If you had good grades, if you developed skills, then you felt good about yourself. In adolescence, the source of your self-esteem now comes from your peers. If your classmates and friends approved of you, if they included you in social settings, then you felt confident and good about who you are.

Now that you're an adult, you've already developed the general state of your self-esteem. It could either be positive or negative.

Here are a some characteristics and behavior of people with positive self-esteem:

These people have a generally positive outlook in life. If they make mistakes, they can easily pick themselves up, brush their shoulders, and move on. They do not worry about their past mistakes nor about the future, as they passionately live in the present. They have firm beliefs and values that they stick to no matter what, even if people are trying to persuade them to think otherwise. They make decisions right away, based on such values and are not easily manipulated. They believe in their own competencies yet are also sensitive to other people's feelings and needs.

On the other hand, here are some characteristics and behavior of people with negative self-esteem:

These people have a generally negative outlook in life. When they make mistakes, they dwell on it and worry excessively about making other mistakes in the future. When they receive criticisms, they see it as a personal attack rather than a chance for improvement. They are often perfectionists because the fear of failing or being criticized is very stressful to them. They also envy other people, having feelings of general dissatisfaction about their situations in life.

Comparing the two types of self-esteem, it's easy to see which of them is ideal. But just because you have low self-esteem it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. There are still some things you can do to boost your self-esteem.

One thing you can do is recognizing your worth and potentials. Make a list of all your positive characteristics, skills, achievements, and even the compliments that people give you. By focusing on the positive things, you can forget about your weaknesses. Another thing is accepting your mistakes, that you are not perfect-no one is. So go easy on yourself and try harder the next time. Another thing you can do is make yourself more attractive. Yes, by dressing nicely, having proper hygiene, and having good posture, you're actually fooling your brain into thinking that you feel good about yourself.

Having positive self-esteem is very important but having low self-esteem doesn't mean you're never getting through it. There are several things that you can do to improve yourself, recognizing which type you are is the first step. Then it's all a matter of enhancing the good and eliminating the bad.