Ah, but the eighth of the grevious vices cataloged by St. John Cassian, self-esteem, it now upheld as a virtue. (The other seven grevious vices are listed in the West as the ‘deadly sins’.)
I think St. John Cassian’s distinction between self-esteem and pride is both psychologically and spiritually perceptive. While pride is more destructive, self-esteem is harder to recognize, equally hard to overcome, and far more common.
An excellent observation! And "self-esteem" is how our children are indoctrinated through the public education system. I would go so far as to say that many families also bolster this in their children, especially when limiting family size. Self-esteem, ultimately, can lead to pride as evidenced by many politicians today.