We explain what low self-esteem is, what its causes, symptoms and characteristics are. What is high self-esteem and personality.
What is low self-esteem?
When we talk about low self-esteem or a lack of self-esteem, we are referring to a perception of ourselves that prevents us from perceiving ourselves as valuable people talented or simply have an objective judgment regarding who we are.
Self-esteem is defined as a set of perceptions, evaluations and ideas about ourselves, on which our capacity for self-confidence, self-love and our need to be recognized by others are based, among other aspects of personality.
It is a complex concept, often fluctuating, but whose foundations are laid during childhood and adolescence, initially through the parental relationship and then with peers.
People with low self-esteem, then, have self-acceptance problems. This may mean that they are very harsh judges of themselves, that they do not respect themselves, or that they have too much compassion; In any case, this translates into a particular relationship with others, in which the individual always occupies an inferior or submissive place.
Having low self-esteem does not mean, however, that the person constantly acts based on that criterion: people are complex, we have multiple faces and It is not always easy to determine the elements that make up our personality. Low self-esteem should also not be confused with mental illnesses or more complicated emotional ailments, such as depression.
See also: Assertiveness
Causes of low self-esteem
The causes of low self-esteem can be as varied as the life of the individual, but broadly speaking the following can be considered:
- Breeding. The parenting model during critical stages of childhood and youth can make the difference between high and low self-esteem. Punishing parents who educate their children in a sense of handicap can prevent a person from recognizing their own values.
- Traumatic events. It often happens that events that are particularly painful or humiliating for an individual dent their self-esteem and convince them of being a defective, weak or unworthy individual.
- Phobias. Irrational fears can often affect self-esteem and weigh so heavily on it that they prevent people from appreciating the rest of their personality.
- Social difficulties. The lack of social interaction, or fear of others, or different forms of social isolation and social anxiety, affect the individual's perception of themselves in comparison to others, whom they think are “normal.”
- Other factors It is possible that psychological or even hormonal diseases affect the emotional functioning of the individual and prevent them from having a healthy self-esteem.
Characteristics and symptoms of low self-esteem
It is not simple to describe the symptoms of low self-esteem, since it is not an objective or simple disease. Even so, there are general traits that indicate a lack of self-esteem and they are:
- Difficulty saying no.
- Living one's own mistakes or defects as something catastrophic and insurmountable.
- Constantly pursue the approval of others.
- Be intolerant of criticism.
- Compulsive desire to please others.
- Exaggerate the triumphs or virtues of others.
- Living with exaggerated fear of making mistakes.
- Appearing shy, insecure or shying away from contact with others.
- Tolerating or accepting unworthy or humiliating conditions without protesting or seeking alternatives.
- Living one's own triumphs or successes as something ephemeral, incomplete or alien.
- Compensate for feelings towards oneself through arrogance, pedantry or arrogance.
High self-esteem
Contrary to low self-esteem, high self-esteem is understood as the ability of an individual to evaluate himself positively or at least objectively, being able to deal with your flaws as such and not as catastrophic events that hide the rest of his personality.
People with high or healthy self-esteem they can deal better with their own mistakes they are better able to fight for their rights or demand what they want from others.
Personality
A complex psychological construct is known as personality, which encompasses the set of rational and irrational dynamics that make up our way of behaving. Personality is a pattern of attitudes, a certain tendency to react in a certain way to certain situations or needs.
This does not mean that it is immovable, quite the opposite. The personality varies throughout life although maintaining certain tendencies, depending on the specific way in which we choose to live. But it always provides a certain margin of predictability, which is, ultimately, our “way of being.”
