Type of

Self-Esteem

Samuel Z. Sison
Division of QC
 People with inflated self-esteem think they
are better than others and have no doubts
about underestimating everyone else. This is a 1. Inflated/Excessive Self-
Esteem
very negative self-esteem, as it holds them back
from establishing affectionate and healthy
relationships. Their competitiveness is always
present and they always want to come out on
top. For these people, happiness is found in
achieving success, but the reality of the matter is
that they do not attain happiness with this  People with inflated self-esteem think they are better than
attitude. others and have no doubts about underestimating
People with inflated self-esteem
are characterized by their inability to listen to
everyone else.
others and to critique themselves. They are not
capable of correcting their own errors and, as
such, they are constantly blaming  People with inflated self-esteem are characterized by their
others. Furthermore, they tend to undervalue inability to listen to others and to critique themselves.
others, adopting hostile behaviors towards them.
It is very difficult for these people to
establish healthy relationships with others. They  It is very difficult for these people to establish healthy
always see everyone else as competition. relationships with others.
Those with excessive self-esteem:

May be preoccupied with being perfect

May focus on always being right
May believe they cannot fail
May believe they are more skilled or better than
others
May express grandiose ideas
May grossly overestimate their skills and
abilities
 People with this type of self-
esteem accept and value themselves. It is a
self-esteem that is known to be positive, as it 2. High/Healthy
manages to make the person satisfied with
their life. Does this imply that there will not Self-Esteem
be barriers or walls to be scaled? Absolutely
not, but the confidence in oneself and the 
courage to face any problems that may  People with this type of self-esteem accept and value
arise make everything much easier. themselves. 
Believing in yourself and trusting in who
you are is what characterizes people who
possess this type of self-esteem. However,  Believing in yourself and trusting in who you are is what
this does not make them arrogant, nor do they characterizes people who possess this type of self-esteem.
feel better than anyone else. The just
have the security necessary to avoid
letting negative circumstances and events
throw them off balance.
You probably have healthy self-esteem
if you:
 Avoid dwelling on past negative experiences
 Believe you are equal to everyone else, no better and
no worse
 Express your needs
 Feel confident
 Have a positive outlook on life
 Say no when you want to
 See your overall strengths and weaknesses and
accept them
 “ Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make
themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their
value by measuring themselves against a comparative
standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better
than someone else”

-Nathaniel Branden-
But even among those with high self-esteem, there are people who can
indeed be seen off-balance. That is to say, they are not able
to constantly maintain this high self-esteem.

What characterizes these people who give in to insecurity? The

aggressive, passive, or negative attitude to accept other points of
view. This particularly happens in competitive contexts when their
insecurity becomes something that they absolutely cannot face.
 People who have low self-esteem are the
opposite of those with high self-esteem. They
do not value themselves, they do not trust
in their possibilities, and insecurity that they 3. Low Self-Esteem
may be feeling is carried over into almost
every situation. Fear of failure is something
that torments them and holds people with low  People who have low self-esteem do not value themselves,
self-esteem back. They are the model of they do not trust in their possibilities, and the insecurity
unhappy people. that they may be feeling is carried over into almost every
People with low self-esteem have moments situation.
of euphoria when everything is going right for
them, but when things start to go bad, their
self-esteem drops very quickly. They are  People with low self-esteem have moments of euphoria
sensitive people who are easily influenced and when everything is going right for them, but when things
who tend to show their opinion, but without start to go bad, their self-esteem drops very quickly.
defending it.
If you have low self-esteem:
You may believe that others are better than you.
You may find expressing your needs difficult.
You may focus on your weaknesses.
You may frequently experience fear, self-doubt, and worry.
You may have a negative outlook on life and feel a lack of
control.4
You may have an intense fear of failure.
You may have trouble accepting positive feedback.
You may have trouble saying no and setting boundaries.
You may put other people's needs before your own.
You may struggle with confidence.
“Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem.
That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up, I
have to cut others down’”

-Pope Francis-
What type of self-esteem is the
most common for you?