Why Self-Esteem Is Self-Defeating
"Self-esteem actually prevents improvement, because you can only improve if you first acknowledge what you’re not good at."
The whole concept of self-esteem is actually something that can hinder improving yourself. That's what columnist Matt Walsh argues in PragerU's latest video. Self-esteem is a myth since people shouldn't unnecessarily admire themselves.
Walsh recounts that when he was in junior high school, one of his teachers had the class rank their self-esteem on a number system.
"When I asked my teacher why I should have high self-esteem, she said, 'Because you’re special.' When I asked why I was special, she said, 'Because you're you!'" says Walsh. "I found this an odd statement at the time, coming as it was from the woman who'd just given me a D on my last math quiz."
While most of the kids in his class ranked their self-esteem highly, "some of them would grow up to be unemployed alcoholics" and Walsh suggests they still probably consider themselves as having high self-esteem.
This highlights the problem with self-esteem — it results in people having "unearned confidence" in themselves, thus depriving them of the motivation to improve themselves.
"Self-esteem actually prevents improvement, because you can only improve if you first acknowledge what you’re not good at."
The whole concept of self-esteem is actually something that can hinder improving yourself. That's what columnist Matt Walsh argues in PragerU's latest video. Self-esteem is a myth since people shouldn't unnecessarily admire themselves.
Walsh recounts that when he was in junior high school, one of his teachers had the class rank their self-esteem on a number system.
"When I asked my teacher why I should have high self-esteem, she said, 'Because you’re special.' When I asked why I was special, she said, 'Because you're you!'" says Walsh. "I found this an odd statement at the time, coming as it was from the woman who'd just given me a D on my last math quiz."
While most of the kids in his class ranked their self-esteem highly, "some of them would grow up to be unemployed alcoholics" and Walsh suggests they still probably consider themselves as having high self-esteem.
This highlights the problem with self-esteem — it results in people having "unearned confidence" in themselves, thus depriving them of the motivation to improve themselves.