Individual Self Esteem Growth and Development

Development of Self-Esteem
As self-aware and self-reflective beings, numerous individuals instinctively identify the significance of self-esteem. Self-esteem is, therefore, more of perception instead of a reality. It alludes to an individual’s belief regarding whether one is whether appealing or competent, and it does not necessarily mean anything regarding whether the individual is appealing and competent. Conventionally, the majority of people consider self-esteem to be significant. It is hard, in not intolerable, for people to continue being unconcerned to information that impacts their self-esteem, for instance, being told that they are stupid, ugly, or deceitful. An escalation or decline in self-esteem usually generates significant emotional responses. Furthermore, these changes are usually corresponding with key successes and failures experienced in life. Therefore, self-esteem facilitates happiness, greater performances, and also improved standards of living.
By Maslow (1943), the actions of human beings are motivated to accomplish particular needs. Maslow delineates five various levels of need, and in each of these, various levels of relevance are assigned to them. The five different levels of needs include physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Maslow argued that humans have an inherent aspiration to be self-actualized, which is the aspiration to become all they can wholly be. However, to accomplish these decisive goals of what persons want to be, some basic needs have to be fully met, including food, love, safety, and also self-esteem. Maslow indicates that esteem needs are sought after once an individual accomplishes physiological, security, and social needs. After the satisfaction of these three needs, esteem needs become progressively more significant.
Specifically, these needs comprise of the need for things that mirror on an individual’s self-esteem, personal value, social acknowledgment, and achievement. At this juncture, it becomes significant to attain the respect and gratitude of other persons. Individuals have to achieve things and, after that, have their determinations acknowledged. Typically, people’s engagement in different activities, including going to work, partaking in a sport, going to school, undertaking a hobby, or engaging in professional tasks in means to satisfy this need. The satisfaction of these needs and gaining acceptance and esteem assists individuals to become progressively more confident. Maslow argues that the failure of people to gain acknowledgment for their achievements, it can result in sentiments such as disappointment and inferiority (Maslow, 1943).
Baumister et al. (2003) make the argument that the assessment of the effects of self-esteem is perplexed by numerous factors. Taking into consideration that numerous individuals with high self-esteem overstress and inflate their successes and good features, it causes individuals to emphasize objective measures of results. There is a high and strong correlation between self-esteem and happiness. Research has indicated that high self-esteem causes greater happiness, whereas low self-esteem is most probably bound to give rise to depression in some situations. Furthermore, individuals that are high in self-esteem assert themselves to be more likable and appealing, have better relationships and affiliations, and make better impressions on other individuals as compared to individuals with low self-esteem. However, most people who tend to portray narcissism are charming initially but eventually alienate others. Ultimately, research has not shown that self-esteem can influence the quality or duration of affiliations and relationships (Baumister et al., 2003).
The high prevalence of teenage pregnancy is a major concern that continues to be experienced within the society. Specifically, the US is leading the developed countries in terms of the incidence of pregnancy amongst adolescents between 15 and 19 years. Also, research demonstrates that an escalation in sexual activity amongst the teenage population with an approximation of about 50 percent to 58 percent being sexually active will go on being a significant issue in the foreseeable future. There is a perspective that progressively, more teenagers are engaging in sexual activities in an endeavor of boosting their self-esteem (Robinson and Frank, 2003).
For the most part, partaking in sexual activities and getting pregnant has been considered to be a means for boosting self-identity and self-esteem. However, research conducted by Robinson and Frank (1994) provided contradicting perspectives. Specifically, the authors examined the correlation between three key factors, including pregnancy, sexual activity, and self-esteem. The authors established that there were no variances in self-esteem between males and females. Also, being sexually active or being a virgin did not have any influence on self-esteem amongst males of females. As a third factor, research demonstrated that pregnancy did not impact self-esteem amongst teenage girls. Nonetheless, the study established that males who had become fathers to children had lower levels of self-esteem as compared to non-fathers.
Alfred Adler’s psychology theory emphasizes human necessity and capacity to generate positive social change and influence. Specifically, Adler accentuated the significance of fostering feelings of belonging and endeavoring for superiority. In relation so self-esteem, failure to achieve these aspects is considered to give rise to low self-esteem. In line with Adler, the fundamental human directionality is linked to competency or self-mastery, also referred to as endeavoring for perfection or superiority. This is the person’s inventive and compensatory solution to the normal and widespread emotional states of unimportance and disempowerment, and the associated views that one is less than what one should be. This refers to having sentiments of inferiority. As a result, striving for perfection or superiority is the expected human yearning to shift and progress from a perceived negative standpoint to a perceived positive standpoint (Watts, 2015).
Consentino (2020) formulates a different perspective on self-esteem. Whereas different authors have indicated that various external factors have influence self-esteem, Consentino (2020) argues that self-esteem can be raised by self-love. The way individuals feel about themselves fundamentally influences just about every aspect of their experiences ranging from how they operate at the workplace, as parents, while in love, and also during sex. The author indicates that self-esteem comprises two constituents, including a feeling of personal capability and also a feeling of personal worth and value. Both of these constituents mirror the implied judgment of an individual’s capacity to deal with and handle the challenges in life and the belief that one’s interests, necessities, and rights are significant. Taking this into consideration, Consentino (2020) explicates that healthy self-esteem emanates from genuinely assessing one’s competencies, endeavoring to improve these capabilities, and empathetically embracing one’s limitations and flaws. Therefore, living intentionally, thinking autonomously, being self-cognizant, being truthful with oneself, having an active alignment, taking risks, and respecting reality are deemed to be the basis of good self-esteem.
An initially formulated, self-esteem is more of a perspective rather than an actuality. To have high levels of self-esteem, it is essential for individuals to face life with heightened self-confidence and optimism, reach their emotive, inventive, and spiritual goals, become more spirited and prepared to deal with the adversities in life and also form relationships that are progressively more nourishing rather than adversative. To accomplish self-esteem, it is essential to love oneself. Self-love emanates from within and facilitates increased self-esteem due to positive and improved self-perception.
References
Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(1), 1–44.
Cosentino, B. W. (2020). Loving Yourself. How to raise your self-esteem.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.
Robinson, R. B., & Frank, D. I. (1994). The relation between self-esteem, sexual activity, and pregnancy. Adolescence, 29(113), 27–35.
Watts, R. (2015). Adler’s individual psychology: The original positive psychology. REVISTA DE PSICOTERAPIA, 26 (102) 123-131.