Definition of self-esteem

Self-worth is the evaluation one has of oneself, of one’s qualities and abilities. It is a relatively stable personal trait. Self-esteem is influenced by how you perceive yourself in the moment and how you have viewed yourself in the past. It affects feelings and behavior.

Self-esteem refers to the
subjective feeling of worth of
oneself.

Similar terms used in everyday life are self-esteem, self-esteem or self-awareness. When someone likes and values ​​themselves positively, they have good or high self-esteem. However, some researchers emphasize that it is not a high, but a secure self-esteem that is important. This means that someone is realistic about themselves and has a reasonable feeling about their own worth. In addition, a secure feeling of self-esteem is relatively stable over time and rather independent of current influences, such as achievements or social recognition.
Self-confidence or self-assurance means the assessment of one’s own skills and abilities, so it is a partial aspect of self-worth.

Self worth is one of the three components of self

The self-concept refers to the cognitive (mental) component of the self, i.e. the overall picture that someone has of themselves. It includes knowledge and beliefs about oneself, such as one’s values, intentions, feelings, or abilities. Typical thoughts can be, for example: “I’m good at science, but not very athletic.” (skills) or “Environmental protection is important to me, so I want to get involved in politics.” (values, intentions)

Self-esteem is the emotional component of the self

The action-related, or motivational, component of the self includes behavior toward oneself, such as how well someone takes care of themselves. This also includes the expectation of self-efficacy, i.e. the conviction that one’s own actions will have the desired consequences. It is an important basis for our own actions.

The overall picture that a person has of themselves is called the global self-concept. It consists of more specific aspects. One can distinguish between performance-related, social, emotional and physical self-esteem. Someone can derive their self-esteem from subjectively perceived abilities and personality traits, from their own achievements and successes (e.g. at work, in leisure activities), from positive social relationships (in the family and partnership, among friends or colleagues) or from their own body image (appearance, Sportiness) relate. For each person, different areas are differently important for self-esteem. In addition, self-esteem can vary depending on the area of ​​life, the situation or the role you are currently taking on.

Social self-worth also depends on which groups you feel you belong to and how you value them. In this way someone can feel part of their family, a school class, a club or an ethnic group. If you evaluate the groups you belong to positively, it increases your self-esteem.

How can self-esteem be measured?

Psychological concepts not only distinguish whether self-esteem is high or low, but also whether it is stable or unstable. In addition, a distinction can be made between self-esteem as a personality trait (trait) or as a state (state) and between conscious (explicit) and unconscious, more emotional (implicit) self-esteem.