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"I can sing, I can dance,
Because I can do all these,
I am better than him,
And worth more than he is.
I can eat, I can sleep,
Because I have grown so fat,
I am as worthless
as worthless can be."
~Prince Paul Ige Adeyanju
~Prince Paul Ige Adeyanju
These are the statements of two people having different perspectives of themselves, each of them having unique and probably outstanding experience about the opposite self-esteems.
Introduction
There are many outstanding information that can be discussed under this topic of self-esteem, but the only purpose of this piece is to briefly address the pros and cons of self-esteem.
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, "I am competent", "I am worthy", "I can",) and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame.
'The self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the positive or negative evaluation of the self, is how we feel about it'. A person’s self-concept consists of the beliefs one has about oneself, one’s self perception, or, as Hamlyn expresses it, “the picture of oneself”.
To explain this in a layman's term, let's split the word in two and explain each separately. Esteem is a fancy word for thinking that someone or something is important or valuing that person or thing. It is a word that means to be "respected and admired, typically for a person. For example, "Johnson was held in high esteem by colleagues." This means Johnson was respected and admired by his colleagues. The other word is self. It simply means " yourself!"
Discussion
When you have self-esteem, you can see yourself for who you are and even if you're born without a silver spoon, you can still be proud of who you are and strive to be what you want to be. If you lack self-esteem(or have a low self-esteem,) you may not be able to have a vision for a better future. If by accident you stumble on a vision, your self-esteem may not be the most important factor that determines how far you go to fulfill that vision, but it could as well be a very important determining factor of your willingness to pursue it.
Many times I have heard parents scold their children with these words: "Your schoolmates are successful not because they have two heads." I would like to clarify that for most parents these words are not intended to bring down the child, but to provoke him to work at his best to become successful. No one should put a limit on what he can achieve in his lifetime. Although we all have our own physical limits, yet we must not limit ourselves; although our strength is so small, yet we should be willing to strive hard to move the mountains around us. This is what a good self-esteem does.
When you believe in your dreams, they may come true; but when you believe in yourself, they will come true.
Many times I have heard parents scold their children with these words: "Your schoolmates are successful not because they have two heads." I would like to clarify that for most parents these words are not intended to bring down the child, but to provoke him to work at his best to become successful. No one should put a limit on what he can achieve in his lifetime. Although we all have our own physical limits, yet we must not limit ourselves; although our strength is so small, yet we should be willing to strive hard to move the mountains around us. This is what a good self-esteem does.
When you believe in your dreams, they may come true; but when you believe in yourself, they will come true.
Pros
Cons
Have you seen a man with self-esteem? He will take charge of every situation that comes his way. He will never be bossed around or bullied. It is good to have self-esteem, however, it does not set you at liberty to become cocky or prideful. When you have self-esteem, you want to make sure you keep it at the right level.
Dr. Adebayo asked his patient, "How are you doing today?"
The patient replied and said, "I'm feeling good."
Then the doctor responded with a warm smile, "You know feeling good is a good
feeling."
It is not bad to feel good about yourself, there is no crime to feel confident about yourself. These are all good feelings. But you have to make sure it does not get into your head.
Most people who have been destroyed through pride, started by exaggerating their self-esteem. Pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). There are multiple examples to choose from. In the Bible, we have King Saul, Samson and others. To mention just a few, we have Sanni Abacha of Nigeria, Kony is also trailing the same path , and also America. Indeed America has always been a powerful nation, because God was the foundation, but presently the progress has been dwindling because of pride ( America, "do not forsake your first love"~Rev. 2:4).
Two people, one path
There are two people known to me who are liable to exaggerate their self -esteem. He who is born with a silver spoon, and he who attains a position of authority through crooked ways. Although they have different backgrounds, yet they are heading along the same path. For the person born with the silver spoon, wealth will seem to him like a norm. He will feel as though riches are effortlessly available just like air. If this feeling gets too good and creeps into his head, pride will set up a sit and make his heart its home. The person who attains a position of authority crookedly, deems it as a very easy achievement that cost him nothing. Since he breached bridges and skipped steps on his way to the top, he will have no taste of hard work, hence, he will not be able to treat his subjects rightly. He will look down on his subjects and will judge them wrongly for not being able to think smart and move up the ladder crookedly just like he did. Check yourself today and see if you are one of the two. Know that God has power over all things, including you and He can bring you down at anytime.
There are two people known to me who are liable to exaggerate their self -esteem. He who is born with a silver spoon, and he who attains a position of authority through crooked ways. Although they have different backgrounds, yet they are heading along the same path. For the person born with the silver spoon, wealth will seem to him like a norm. He will feel as though riches are effortlessly available just like air. If this feeling gets too good and creeps into his head, pride will set up a sit and make his heart its home. The person who attains a position of authority crookedly, deems it as a very easy achievement that cost him nothing. Since he breached bridges and skipped steps on his way to the top, he will have no taste of hard work, hence, he will not be able to treat his subjects rightly. He will look down on his subjects and will judge them wrongly for not being able to think smart and move up the ladder crookedly just like he did. Check yourself today and see if you are one of the two. Know that God has power over all things, including you and He can bring you down at anytime.
Conclusion
Put your self-esteem under proper control, because if you fail to properly control it, it will not only control you, but will also instigate your downfall. Those who have allowed their self-esteem to develop into pride have faced destruction, one way or the other. According to C.S. Lewis, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.” Do not set a limit for yourself, for while you see the sky as your limit, others see it as their springboard. Also be careful not to let your self-esteem get into your head, it could lead to your self-destruction.
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