everywomanshero
Master Don Juan
- Joined
- May 2, 2005
- Messages
- 1,814
- Reaction score
- 36
What is self-esteem anyway? It's the difference between your ideal self and your percieved self.
On forums such as this one we often talk about people needing "higher self-esteem". I think higher self-esteem isn't always the answer. Here's why:
Increased aggression: This is associated with really high self esteem. Trying to maintain SE can lead people to misperceive things as threats to SE and be on edge.
Self-Handicapping: Basically like when someone uses "I only pull hot, rich chix who speak at least 12 languages" as an excuse why he can never pull. He picks girls he doesn't think he can score with to protect his self-esteem. The attempt to maintain self-esteem actually causes an increase in failure.
Early sexual cotact: Associated with much higher than normal self-esteem is increased sexual contact at young ages. Hey, this isn't such a terrible thing.. got me there =)
Actor-Observer: Blame situation for your failure, blame personal traits for other peoples' failures. Use personal traits for your success, use situational factors for other people's successes. In the extreme, this is very transparent. Can be useful for frame control.
Basking in Reflected Glory: Try to associate with people who we perceive as impressive. Can sound braggart if taken too far. This one and the next are most often used after a threat to self-esteem have been made.
CORFING: Cutting off reflected values of negative associations. Usually a good thing, but when you go as far as to lie it can come back later.
High SE can cause us to use downward social comparisons.. "at least Im better off than the homeless guy".. again might be useful for someone who is down and out for frame control but...
Upward social comparisons are used for self-improvement... one day I'll pimp mad game like <NAME YOUR GURU> one day.
Maybe it's best to take a really, really deep breath, relax, and be more humble than self-esteemed.
On forums such as this one we often talk about people needing "higher self-esteem". I think higher self-esteem isn't always the answer. Here's why:
Increased aggression: This is associated with really high self esteem. Trying to maintain SE can lead people to misperceive things as threats to SE and be on edge.
Self-Handicapping: Basically like when someone uses "I only pull hot, rich chix who speak at least 12 languages" as an excuse why he can never pull. He picks girls he doesn't think he can score with to protect his self-esteem. The attempt to maintain self-esteem actually causes an increase in failure.
Early sexual cotact: Associated with much higher than normal self-esteem is increased sexual contact at young ages. Hey, this isn't such a terrible thing.. got me there =)
Actor-Observer: Blame situation for your failure, blame personal traits for other peoples' failures. Use personal traits for your success, use situational factors for other people's successes. In the extreme, this is very transparent. Can be useful for frame control.
Basking in Reflected Glory: Try to associate with people who we perceive as impressive. Can sound braggart if taken too far. This one and the next are most often used after a threat to self-esteem have been made.
CORFING: Cutting off reflected values of negative associations. Usually a good thing, but when you go as far as to lie it can come back later.
High SE can cause us to use downward social comparisons.. "at least Im better off than the homeless guy".. again might be useful for someone who is down and out for frame control but...
Upward social comparisons are used for self-improvement... one day I'll pimp mad game like <NAME YOUR GURU> one day.
Maybe it's best to take a really, really deep breath, relax, and be more humble than self-esteemed.