Self-esteem refers to holding a high opinion of yourself and your actions. Until recently, it has been widely believed that high self-esteem is equated to success, happiness, and an overall sense of well-being. Similarly, low self-esteem has been associated with and even considered responsible for things such as teen pregnancy, crime, substance abuse, murder, rape, prostitution, and even terrorism.
However, recent research proves not only that high self-esteem is overrated, but also that it might be the cause behind social failures. Instead of focusing on high or low self-esteem, other, more important qualities should be considered. While confidence is not necessarily a bad quality to have, humility seems to be even better and more valuable for success.
Though there may still be benefits to having high self-esteem, there are also risks, as it can potentially have some negative psychological consequences. Here is a look at some of them.
Egotism
Recently, there have been many studies that explore the dark side of self-esteem. One of the biggest conclusions that has been drawn about people with high self-esteem is that as a result of an inflated ego, they have trouble with self-regulation. This means that egotistical illusions can begin to interfere with a person’s judgment by causing them to overestimate their abilities and therefore set unrealistic goals for themselves. A good example of this would be some of the not-so-great contestants who audition for American Idol because their high self-esteem and altered state of ego has convinced them that they are a wonderful singer.
Narcissism
There is a very fine line between healthy levels of confidence about yourself and being a vain and self-absorbed narcissist. High self-esteem to the point of narcissism can be very destructive to those around you, as well as yourself if you rely on validation from others (such as “likes” on social media) to feel confident and successful. If you don’t have a solid foundation of skills and competence, then it becomes very easy to go from feeling wonderful to feeling miserable after a minor mistake. The more you build yourself up on false pretenses, the easier it is to crash down.
Inability to Learn
If you are too confident, then you become unable to acknowledge faults, weaknesses, and ignorance. As a result, you are not a teachable person, since you already believe that you know what is best. This is not a good trait to have in the workplace, as being teachable is one of the most valuable qualities when working within a team environment. Even if your skills are exactly what a position needs, if you are unable to take constructive criticism and make noticeable changes, your worth will suffer.
Pride
The opposite of being humble, being proud is a dangerous quality as well. Instead of being prideful and feeling confident that no matter what, everything is going to be great (because you are great in general), try a more courageous approach. This would include feeling confident that no matter what happens, good or bad, you will be able to handle it. Additionally, taking on a new task with a sense of humility about how much you don’t know instead of focusing on what you do know could yield better results.
