Understanding Self Esteem and Self Confidence

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For years, self-esteem and self-confidence are touted to be interchangeable and have been a subject of fierce debates among many academics. Is there a definitive line that divides self-esteem and self-confidence? How are they related and different at the same? Although relatable, these two concepts are different.

Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence

According to psychology, self-esteem is basically how one feels about himself. It measures how much love or high regard you have for yourself— and is virtually shaped-up from certain experiences and situations on day to day living. In its broadest sense, self-esteem is one’s way of valuing his or her self-worth.

Self-confidence, on the other hand, is related to action or your overall feeling about your abilities. It supports one’s belief or enthusiasm to succeed on most anything. It is domain specific and can vary from one situation to another though. One may be confident in a certain area (like being good in sports) but entirely insecure or uncertain in another (like academics).

When one has a strong sense of love-of-self, it almost always fosters a stronger self-esteem making you feel more confident. When you are confident in certain areas of your life, your sense of self also improves. In some ways, confidence is easier to develop than self-esteem. This can be done by taking action and exerting extra efforts on challenging aspects in life. Working on your fear of public speaking or singing, for instance, can be “cured” through practice, training, and going out of your comfort zone. Working on these aspects—public speaking or singing—will allow you to be more certain of your abilities. Though you may not attain perfection, it allows you to overcome certain obstacles and go on through life without the anxiety that you never tried. Overall, it is safe to deduce that both are important concepts to develop as they can help a person attain success in various aspects of their lives.

Developing Self-Actualization
Improving one’s self-esteem and self-confidence ultimately lead to one thing—self-actualization or self-fulfillment. To achieve that, here are some ways to improve your own self:

  • Recognize the strengths or qualities you excel in. Identify also areas of weakness or challenges.
  • Think succinctly on what affects these areas. Nurture the positive and propel it further.
  • Listen to the negative chatter but do not let yourself simmer in there. Being aware of these challenges allow you time to analyze and process methods to improve them. Act on them and work on how to find ways that will contradict or address these issues.
  • Connect with people who can help bolster your strengths and motivate you to do better in areas where you are lacking.
  • Take good care of your physical and mental state. There is so much you can do with a healthy body and mind.
  • Tap into your innermost being leading to self-discovery. Practice mindfulness meditation. Get yourself into training or coaching programs.

Indeed, self-esteem and self-confidence are correlated as they are different. It is important to note though that both hold utmost significance in the improvement of one’s overall sense of self. Most importantly, the more we recognize such challenges and strengths, the more conscious we are on how to positively address them. Learning how to shape-up your self-confidence will eventually create a most robust self-esteem essential for success.

Photo: LinkedIn

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