Loving yourself as if you were your best friend.
For starters let’s see what the noise and hype about self-esteem really is.
Self-esteem is a standard of “success” has everybody trying to get as much of it as they possibly can.
Self-esteem is a judgment of oneself, of one’s own worth.
The proponents of self-esteem as a measure of success state that in order to have a good dose of self-esteem you have to believe and feel you are indeed very successful. And the way you get there is by measuring yourself against everybody else, by being better than or superior to everybody else. It has gotten so out of hand that you cannot be “average” or “common” or “normal” anymore. To be considered successful, you have to be exceptional.
Because of the perceived importance of good self-esteem, people work hard to achieve it. This makes sense if you believe that as you raise your self-esteem, you raise your value in your own eyes and in the eyes of those who judge you.
This race to be awesome as fast as possible has been captured by a huge industry that promises to deliver big chunks of self-esteem if you buy whatever it is they are selling. It targets the whole gamut of human existence—cosmetics, plastic surgery, cars, housing, vacations, clothing, restaurants, schools, neighborhoods, even special courses and seminars. They all promise to make you feel better about yourself, to raise your value so that you can compete better in this world.
Not even children are spared from learning to be awesome. They play with toys that aim to be role models for the winners in this race, just like Barbie’s boyfriend “totally cool Ken” and other manufactured role models.
I find this self-esteem doctrine that emphasizes your worth quite disruptive and damaging. It’s a recipe for a life riddled with anxiety and frustration that can easily lead to depression or delusional narcissism.
To learn more visit: Happiness No Matter What! The Essential Seven Principles Program for a Happy You
I would love to hear what you think about the role of self-esteem in today's society and in your own life.
Love and Light,
Monica
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