Posted on 12/21/2004 3:08:58 PM PST by shrinkermd
SUMMARY: Boosting people's sense of self-worth has become a national preoccupation. Yet surprisingly, researchshows that such efforts are of little value in fostering academic progress or preventing undesirable behavior.
People intuitively recognize the importance of self-esteem to their psychological health, so it isn't particularly remarkable that most of us try to protect and enhance it in ourselves whenever possible. What is remarkable is that attention to self-esteem has become a communal concern, at least for Americans, who see a favorable opinion of oneself as the central psychological source from which all manner of positive outcomes spring.
The corollary, that low self-esteem lies at the root of individual and thus societal problems and dysfunctions, has sustained an ambitious social agenda for decades. Indeed, campaigns to raise people's sense of self-worth abound.
Consider what transpired in California in the late 1980s. Prodded by State Assemblyman John Vasconcellos, Governor George Deukmejian set up a task force on self-esteem and personal and social responsibility. Vasconcellos argued that raising self-esteem in young people would reduce crime, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, school underachievement and pollution. At one point, he even expressed the hope that these efforts would one day help balance the state budget, a prospect predicated on the observation that people with high self-regard earn more than others and thus pay more in taxes.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciam.com ...
There is a huge diffrence between pride and self esteem.
Right on. I've never bought into the self-esteem bunk--ever, we've raised three kids. I've been a Scoutmaster for many years. The thing that I tell the kids is to "DO good and you'll feel good" (there's a VERB in that quote). I can't think of any other way to say it.
Scriptures tell us that Jesus said to "put everyone before us". HUH?? Gee, THAT ought to confound them--good stuff! But then again, hardly anyone believes the Bible anyway so I'm just wasting breath there.
bttt
read later
What you said...:)
I agree the false self esteem used by school boards etc...
Boosting grades so no one "fails" etc does no service to the child later in life when he/she faces the reality that there are times in life that you do fail... it is that failure and the subsequent recovery that truely build the self esteem... On of the great teachers of that...IMHO... Was for me the Navy... The are experts at breaking you will and self esteem in boot camp and then making you work to prove that you can over come an obstacle...
Bingo! The key word: artificially.
"My failings (prison, divorce) I take the DU approach and blame someone else."
hahaha...I was reading the other stuff you wrote and was thinking "man, he is full of himself"...
thanks for the laugh...
I believe in self-respect, the kind that must be earned by conducting oneself in a way that benefits society, not detracts from it.
I've found that children feel the best about themselves when they set out to accomplish something (whatever that may be) and follow it through until it's done.
It's something that carries over into adulthood, and helps shape a person's character.
A BIG mistake people often make is considering a natural gift as an accomplishment, like beauty, natural brains or talents. HAS to be EARNED, with SOME effort, or it's pretty worthless.
Self esteem, self actualization,self realization, self image, self love, self ad nauseum. The problem is self. Exaltation of self. Some one, years ago said, "Deny self, take up the cross and follow me." Just until after the Christmas holidays, try taking your eyes off of self. See if that works. See Philipian 2:3.
Somethings you have to dissect to find the flaw. Somethings you have peel off a couple layers before the BS becomes apparent. But somethings, as soon as you hear them, sheer commonsense reflex brings laughter to the lips and a clod in the hand to heave at the speaker.
Couldn't agree more. I believe it to be the original sin that is in each of us...the Self before G--. It's been the source of endless misery in the world, whether it is the path followed directly (radical individualism, indulgence, gratification, etc.) or indirectly (pursuing worldly power in the name of your G--, i.e., Islamofascism).
Self-respect is priceless.
"Teachers generally should supply encouragement. They need not worry about self-esteem."
Please consider that the teachers come from educational programs, and most of them have seen their brighter and higher achieving classmates go into more demanding programs at college and graduate levels. Thus there might be in teachers a well earned inferiority complex. If so, how could they provide any self-esteem that is not bogus?
In Orthodox Christianity, self-esteem is one of the Eight Grevious Vices cataloged by St. John Cassian in a
work under that title which is included in the first volume of The Philokalia. (The other seven are familiar to Western Christians under the name 'Seven Deadly Sins'.)
The vice of self-esteem tends to make one mired in it uneducable (particularly in spiritual matters, but in my experience in academic matters as well).
I disagree. Here's how I would word it:
I think the main point is that SELF RESPECT is something EARNED through hard work and good work, and self-esteem is "given" to us by limp-wristed teachers and counselors.
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