Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth

Scientific American On-Line ^ | January 2005 | Roy F. Baumeister, Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I. Krueger and Kathleen D. Vohs

[shrinkermd]

FYI. It is quite easy to put the cart before the horse but it does not work as well.

[Clemenza]

The prisons are filled with men with "high self esteem."

[atomicpossum]

Well, this makes me feel better about lack of self-esteem.

[dirtboy]

People who are busy accomplishing something don't have time to worry about their self-esteem.

[fishtank]

Paging Dr. James Dobson....

[Rightone]

You said it right, my friend.

[Americanwolf]

They should have focused more on teaching childern personal responsibility instead of try to boost self esteem at any cost...

A little personal responsibility goes a long way.

[Jeff Gordon]

But what about EST? :-)

[starfish923]

Self esteem comes from accomplishments. It starts in the home, from the parents.

Duh.

[speed_addiction]

The prisons are filled with men with "high self esteem."

I beg to differ on this one. Most of the men I ever met in prison had a low opinion of themselves. Over half of them spent their days sleeping when not tending to whatever their work assignment was. The worst of the lot were the "model" inmates. It was my experience that recitivism was higher with the model inmates than it is with the smartass, refuse to be broken inmates. I was one of the latter. I refused to do one single thing expected of me and in my mind I looked at my final release date. The day THEY HAD TO LET ME GO , and never expected one day less. The inmates with a higher self worth always do better when released, regardless of their behavior while incarcerated.

[BossLady]

I believe self-esteem stems from the ego whereas self-realization stems from connection to the divine...

Big Difference IMHO....

[randog]

The prisons are filled with men with "high self esteem."

From the article: "For decades, psychologists believed that low self-esteem was an important cause of aggression. One of us (Baumeister) challenged that notion in 1996, when he reviewed assorted studies and concluded that perpetrators of aggression generally hold favorable and perhaps even inflated views of themselves."

[Clemenza]

The thugged-out kids in NYC, many of whom eventually go on to the State License Plate Factory in Ossining or Attica, exhibit considerable self-esteem in their early years. I guess a few years in the clink causes some of them to realize what pieces of sh-t many of them actually are.

A corrections officer once told me the same thing about "model prisoners."

Of course, the people with the lowest self-esteem tend to be junkies, dusters, and meth heads.

I think the main point is that self-esteem is something EARNED through hard work and good work, not "given" to us by limp-wristed teachers and counselors.

[Joe Bfstplk]

Self esteem always fails because no one can do well all the time.

Self acceptance is a more correct approach. The question changes from 'how am I doing?' to 'what am I doing and how can I perform better?'

[Noachian]

But imagine if a heightened sense of self-worth prompted some people to demand preferential treatment or to exploit their fellows.

This is exactly the kind of thinking that gives rise to monarchies, tyrants, and liberalism.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Gauging the value of self-esteem requires, first of all, a sensible way to measure it. Most investigators just ask people what they think of themselves.

My version of self-esteem: I hate myself a little less than I hate everyone else.

It works for me....

[Veto!]

Self esteem comes from accomplishments.

Ten years ago, I edited a book by psychologist (and former Ayn Rand lover) Nathaniel Branden, who is considered the "father of the self-esteem movement." And he said exactly what you said, self-esteem comes from accomplishments. Too bad the idiots who promulgated self-esteem in classrooms forgot to include that part and made it smarmy, feel-good idiocy instead.

The worst example I ever came upon was in an interview after the Los Angeles riots with a punk caught bashing innocent bystanders over the head with bricks. "Don't matter what I do, I'm a good person." Obviously that criminal was a product of feel-good self-esteem training in CA public schools. Today, there are millions of them out there, bricks in hand, waiting to demonstrate their high regard for themselves at the slightest provocation.

[dirtboy]

Your method isn't bad.

Mine involves declaring myself the only true conservative while labelling everyone else as a communist, a RINO or a right-wing nutbar.

[CincinnatiKid]

bump for later reading

[JmyBryan]

Teachers generally should supply encouragement. They need not worry about self-esteem. Self-esteem, by definition, is self generated. Furthermore, the whole doctrine of happiness as static dimension is a bunch of horsepuckey.