Adults- Low Self-esteem Among Adults

Many of us tend to think that low self-esteem, lack of self-value, shyness, and introversion are characteristics with which we were born.
Several psychological studies examined the question: are lack of confidence and low self-esteem congenital or acquired traits?

It was proven indisputably that low self-esteem, lack of self-value, and lack of confidence are acquired traits! Though there is a link between our character structure and our response and containment of various situations in life, one can say with certainty that the manner by which we choose to respond is directly linked to the experiences and events we had gone through over the years, and that engrained in us lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and hesitancy, that affect our daily performance. Low self-esteem harms all aspects of our lives and denies us opportunities in various fields of life.

In the long run, negative self-esteem may lead to a destructive vicious circle.

Strengthening one’s self-image leads to an immediate improvement in interpersonal communication, scholarly/professional achievements, and one’s perspective on life. The dark colors will become softer and the feelings of anger and frustration will make room for feelings of containment and love.

Indicators of low self-esteem:

• Avoiding performing social, and academic tasks/assignments, and avoiding various experiences.
• Harsh self-criticism- common sentences include: “I’m not successful”, “I’m stupid”, and “there’s no point in trying as I already know I will fail”.
• Difficulty making choices- “should I apply for the job or is it useless”, “should I go to my classmates’ party or stay home”.
• Fear of failure or success- adults or children who developed low self-esteem or low self-value, will always fear the mere attempt to perform something, regardless of the results (failure or success).
• Giving up on oneself for the sake of others- adults or children who have low self-esteem, choose to always give of themselves to those around them, without expecting reciprocity or appreciating their own giving and its results.
• Lack of opinion or the right to choose- they tend to choose and behave according to the expectations of others.
• Introversion and tendency to suffer from depression and anxiety.
• Perceiving reality as threatening and dangerous when in fact it is containing and accepting.