Self-esteem is the global, relatively stable evaluation a person makes of themselves. It is not arrogance or self-indulgence: it is the capacity to recognize one's own worth without needing constant external approval. Healthy self-esteem serves as an emotional foundation from which to face challenges, sustain relationships, and recover from setbacks.
Concept origin
William James (1890) was the first to define it scientifically as the ratio between achievements and pretensions. Rosenberg (1965) developed the most widely used scale worldwide. Branden (1969) popularized it with the concept of "pillar of mental health," distinguishing self-efficacy and self-worth as its two components.
Therapeutic approach
CBT addresses self-esteem by identifying core negative beliefs (Young's schemas) and building corrective experiences that contradict them. Self-compassion (Neff) is a validated complementary approach: it replaces harsh self-criticism with a more honest and kind treatment of oneself.
Related concepts
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