[LifeIsCruel]

My Opinion of Self-Esteem

Self Esteem!

It is just like money!

You are:
A.) Either born with it and have it, or

B.) You work/spend/exhaust your entire life trying to attain it, using all resources, professionals, medicines,--everything…yet something, someone, and/or something happens which always take away from it! And this will occur “while” you are trying to build it, not when you “attain” it! Again, just like money!

Think about it…it is true!

[Chief Bowwow]

well, i got tons of student loans . . . i think i got some kind of self-esteem debt, too.

[SeekerOfLife]

The struggle to attain and keep self esteem does seem to be an ongoing thing.

[Pikku Myy]

Have none

[Frankbtl]

Hi LifeIsCruel, I'd say that you're selling yourself so short by focusing more so on the type of self esteem that is so interlinked with someone/something. You are worth way more than that!!
If it's that interlinked then you're always going to be in a vulnerable position of someone/some people saying/doing something, losing x,y or z and your self esteem falling back to............
Now, I'd say that what you should be feeling good about in yourself runs a lot deeper than "surface" things.
Put it this way, someone who's homeless, has seriously mental health issues, uses drugs.........can still be a way better person (more honest, genuine, sincere, compassionate, insightful, inspiring.......) than someone else who just happens to have a good house, car, job, family, appearance, holidays in the sun, all that...........It all depends on the individual and who they are inside.
So maybe just be careful in how you put a value on yourself?
Sure your self esteem may still be knocked at times if "someone/some people say/do something, you lose x,y or z" but you're going to gradually see that you're still left with a whole lot more.
And I know there's a whole lot more to you than what you're maybe striving for, it's already there!! There are already plenty of things that you can feel good about yourself, you don't have to change those things at all/you don't have to question those things at all. It's what's inside you that counts!! And it's you seeing those things that matters!!
Alison

[LaborIntensive]

Self esteem is all you. That is correct and you will need to embrace those aspects of yourself worthy of love. Do you love others? Do you resist negative people and jerks? Do you help others when you can? Do you feel bad when you see suffering? Do you try to make others smile when you can?

There are many things that make us who we are and as trivial as society tries to make them "those of us in the know" know what is important and valued!

[Nicks_Nose]

I had self worth and good self-esteem until the bullying in grades 5 to 9. It was only because of my family and a neurosurgeon that I regained some of it back. However, during those crucial years of social development, I was alienated, and did not learn certain socializing skills that are normally developed at that stage of life. Now, I feel awkward in social settings and am more comfortable alone, since that is how I was during those years.