The Trouble with Self-esteem

To esteem something means to have a high opinion of it. To have high self-esteem means holding a high opinion of oneself. This high opinion is usually based on a high overall rating of oneself as a person, and this high rating is in turn based on evaluating one’s actual performance. There are two popular views of self-esteem. One is the theory that it’s good for people to feel good about themselves, irrespective of how well or badly they have actually performed. If they esteem themselves highly, they will automatically do better--and even if they don’t do better, well, they’ll at least feel happier. This theory has been applied in recent years as an educational technique, the "selfesteem curriculum," devoted to convincing students that they are wonderful and "special." Educationally, it has yielded disappointing results.