What Is Self-Esteem? A Definition and Signs Of Strong Self-Esteem

Question: What is self-esteem? Here’s a definition and some explanations.

WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM – Self-evaluation is crucial but here are some things to know about a person’s self-esteem and what it means from a psychologist’s perspective.

In a citation, Adler & Stewart, 2004, have defined self-esteem as a person’s overall sense of his or her value or worth or how much a person “values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself”.

Morris Rosenberg, meanwhile, simply defined it as a person’s attitude towards himself either favorable or unfavorable attitude.

It is believed that certain factors can affect one’s self-esteem such as the following:

Genetics
Personality
Life experiences
Age
Health
Thoughts
Social circumstances
The reactions of others
Comparison of self to others

In a post from Positive Psychology, this is how self-esteem differs from these concepts:

SELF-CONCEPT	This is how we perceive ourselves, an answer to the question “Who am I?” It is how we know our tendencies, thoughts, preferences and habits, hobbies, skills, and areas of weakness.
SELF-IMAGE	This is similar to self-concept – it is how we see ourselves but far from the reality of life in it.
SELF-WORTH	Hibbert, 2013 says this is “the more global recognition that we are valuable human beings worthy of love”.
SELF-CONFIDENCE	This defines the trust you have in yourself and your belief in yourself in surpassing challenges or solving problems.
SELF-EFFICACY	This is your trust or belief in yourself that you can accomplish any task.
SELF-COMPASSION	This describes how we relate ourselves to other people.