We've all heard the advice to believe in yourself, appreciate yourself, be your own cheerleader, and that you can't truly love others until you love yourself—and it's all true. But what precisely does that really mean in real life? In essence, having a high level of self-esteem is critical to living a successful and happy life.
But how can you know if your self-esteem is sufficient?
In order for us to know about high self-esteem, let us know first what is self-esteem.
Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself (on the inside and out), as well as what you value in yourself and how you interact with others. It also has to do with how you believe others see, treat, and value you. As a result, persons who have been in abusive situations or have experienced trauma (especially as children) are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem both now and in the future.
Self-esteem isn't only based on a single factor or collection of thoughts. Instead, a person's self-esteem is based on how you see yourself, including your personality, accomplishments, talents, capabilities, background, experiences, connections, and physical body, as well as how you think others see you.
High self-esteem
High self-esteem is defined as a good attitude toward oneself. This does not imply that you adore yourself or believe you are flawless. On the contrary, even people with high self-esteem are prone to self-criticism and have portions of themselves that they are less proud of or satisfied with than others. Self-confidence can fluctuate depending on the situation.
In essence, high self-esteem is a mindset that allows you to enjoy your accomplishments, confront your flaws, and feel good about yourself and your life. Because you value, trust, and respect yourself at your core, it allows you to put daily ups and downs in perspective.
High self-esteem also allows you to see that nothing is about you, allowing you to avoid taking things personally and being overly reactive. You can see beyond yourself and be confident in your place in the world if you have a strong sense of self-respect.
Surprisingly, having a strong sense of self-worth may not necessarily correspond to the events or attributes that you may expect to connect with feeling good about yourself.
Why is it Important to Have a High Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is essential for good mental health and well-being. Self-esteem is important since it aids in the development of coping abilities, the handling of adversity, and the perspective of the negative.
If you have a higher self-concept, you are less likely to place undue emphasis, blame, self-doubt, despondency, or weight on the aspects of your life that you are unhappy with. You're also more capable of dealing with stress, worry, and pressure from school, work, home, and peers. 6
Rather of feeling hopeless, stuck, or unworthy as a result of any perceived "failings," a person with high self-esteem is more likely to look for ways to improve or change rather than feeling like a failure.
Overall Happiness is Boosted by High Self-Esteem
Furthermore, high self-esteem is thought to protect against a variety of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety. In reality, research show that having high self-esteem is linked to your happiness in life and your ability to retain a positive attitude toward yourself in difficult situations.
Is It Possible to Have Too Much Self-Esteem?
A distorted or exaggerated self-perception can be just as harmful as a negative one. However, there is a difference between healthy high self-esteem and arrogance. Being egocentric, believing you are infallible, or thinking you are better than others is not a sign of high self-esteem.
Arrogance and Narcissism vs. High Self-Esteem
We would assume that too much self-esteem means an inflated ego, but arrogance occurs when a person's self-concept deviates from reality and becomes the main factor in their life.
This form of narcissistic self-concept, on the other hand, isn't always a natural progression from good self-esteem, which values oneself but not above others.
While narcissists may appear to have high self-esteem, research demonstrate that grandiose views about oneself can disguise a bad self-image, emotions of guilt, and self-directed wrath.
People with narcissistic personality disorder are more likely to have concomitant mental health issues such as sadness and anxiety, as well as feelings of helplessness and unstable personal relationships.
