[speed_addiction]

The prisons are filled with men with "high self esteem."

I beg to differ on this one. Most of the men I ever met in prison had a low opinion of themselves. Over half of them spent their days sleeping when not tending to whatever their work assignment was. The worst of the lot were the "model" inmates. It was my experience that recitivism was higher with the model inmates than it is with the smartass, refuse to be broken inmates. I was one of the latter. I refused to do one single thing expected of me and in my mind I looked at my final release date. The day THEY HAD TO LET ME GO , and never expected one day less. The inmates with a higher self worth always do better when released, regardless of their behavior while incarcerated.

[Clemenza]

The thugged-out kids in NYC, many of whom eventually go on to the State License Plate Factory in Ossining or Attica, exhibit considerable self-esteem in their early years. I guess a few years in the clink causes some of them to realize what pieces of sh-t many of them actually are.

A corrections officer once told me the same thing about "model prisoners."

Of course, the people with the lowest self-esteem tend to be junkies, dusters, and meth heads.

I think the main point is that self-esteem is something EARNED through hard work and good work, not "given" to us by limp-wristed teachers and counselors.

[Logophile]

Most of the men I ever met in prison had a low opinion of themselves.

Probably with good reason.