Self-esteem

Synonyms

Pride; Self-respect

Definition

Self-esteem can be defined as a positive self-evaluation or a concept broader than confidence. It refers to an individual’s cognitive appraisal that is constant over time. A positive self-appraisal indicates higher self-esteem, and a negative self-appraisal indicates lower self-esteem. Self-esteem is not perceived anytime, but it essentially influences one’s actions, consciousness, or attitude. One who is perceived to have high self-esteem pursues goals aggressively and actively. Further, they are perceived to be amiable by themselves or by others. In this sense, self-esteem becomes indispensable to mental health or social adaptation.

In the previous study concerning self-esteem, an individual’s self-esteem was considered in terms of not only his or her tendency and degrees of appraisal, which could be positive or negative, but also its relationship with the individual’s cognitive faculty. James (1890) propounded that “self-esteem is successes...