A question that often comes up when people are working on their personal development is the difference between self-worth and self-esteem. Both concepts are important, but they’re not the same thing.
Self-worth is what you feel inside, while self-esteem is what you feel when you look in the mirror or think about yourself. Both are crucial to know which aspect you need more help with.
In this article, we’ll go over the differences between self-worth and self-esteem, and how you can strengthen both.
What Is Self-Worth?
Self-worth is the intrinsic value that a person assigns to themselves. It is based on one’s own opinions and beliefs about oneself and not on what others may think. Self-worth is the feeling of being worthy and valuable as a person, regardless of what one does or does not do. It is the feeling that we have something to offer, that we are good enough just as we are.
Self-worth is essential to a healthy sense of self and well-being. Every person needs to feel that they matter or that they have a purpose. When their self-worth is low, they tend to doubt themselves and their abilities.
They are less likely to strive for their goals and achieve their dreams. They may also be more likely to engage in self-destructive behavior such as drug or alcohol abuse.
People with high self-worth typically have a more positive outlook on life. They are more confident and happier in their skin. They know their worth and are not afraid to stand up for themselves. They are also more likely to be successful in their careers.
There is no single way to build up self-worth. It can be something you work on every day or something you work on now and then when you need a boost. The most important thing is to be gentle with yourself, accept yourself for who you are, and remember that you are worthy of love and respect.
What Is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is the term used to describe a person’s general emotional evaluation of themselves. It can be considered as a measure of how much a person likes or values themselves.
Self-esteem can be divided into two categories: global and specific self-esteem. Global self-esteem is the perception of one’s worth as a person, while specific self-esteem is the evaluation of one’s qualities and abilities concerning a particular task or situation.
People with high self-esteem usually have a positive global self-assessment, while people with low self-esteem usually have a negative global self-assessment. People with high specific self-esteem generally perform well in most areas of their lives, while people with low specific self-esteem tend to have difficulty in most areas.
While it is normal for people to experience fluctuations in their self-esteem from time to time, chronically low self-esteem can be very damaging and may lead to mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.
It is important for people with low self-esteem to seek help and work to strengthen their self-esteem so they can feel better about themselves and improve their quality of life.
Self-Worth Is How You Feel About Yourself Deep Down, Self-Esteem Is How You Feel When Looking in the Mirror or Thinking About Yourself
Self-worth refers to how you feel deep inside about yourself. It is your core belief system- your inner voice that tells you what kind of person you are and whether or not you deserve love and respect. This helps you decide whether you can take risks in life or whether you should settle for less than you deserve.
Self-esteem, on the other hand, refers to how you feel when you look in the mirror or think about yourself. It’s about how much self-confidence and trust you have in yourself. It reflects how much value you place on your own opinion. Your self-esteem is also affected by how you are perceived by others, so it can fluctuate depending on who is around at any given moment.
Self-Worth Is a More Intrinsic Feeling, Self-Esteem Can Be Influenced by What Others Think of You
Self-worth is a more intrinsic feeling. It’s the way you feel about yourself, whether other people love or approve of you, and regardless of your successes or failures. It’s how you feel about your past, present, and future- and it can change over time as you have new experiences in your life.
Self-worth is deeply personal and comes from how you think about yourself- not how others treat you.
Self-esteem, on the other hand, can be more easily influenced by what others think of you- especially if those people are important to you or have an impact on your life in some way.
For example, if someone treats you poorly at work or gives you negative feedback about your job performance, this can negatively affect your self-esteem for a while until you learn to ignore these comments and focus on what matters most: your own internal belief about what kind of worker you are!
Self-Worth Is About Your Character and What You Believe About Yourself, Self-Esteem Is More About Your Performance and Achievements
Self-worth is about your character and what you believe about yourself. It’s about how much you value yourself as a person and how much respect you have for yourself.
It has nothing to do with what others think of you or whether or not someone approves of your choices. It’s about knowing that no matter what happens in life, you are going to be okay— and that’s something that only you can give yourself.
On the other hand, self-esteem is more about your performance and achievements. It is the belief that you deserve respect from others because of what you’ve done in life, such as how well you did in school, how much money you make at work, and whether or not people enjoy being with you.
Unlike self-worth, self-esteem can be directly affected by what others think of you. That’s why it’s important to be careful about who you allow having power over your self-esteem.
Self-Worth Is Usually a Stable Feeling, Self-Esteem Can Be Rather Fluid and Changeable
Self-worth is a stable feeling because it is based on a person’s intrinsic value. This means that a person’s value is not based on external factors such as their achievements or what others think of them, but on their character and innate qualities. No one can take away your self-worth, no matter what they do to you.
For example, if you are fired from your job, it does not mean that you are now a worthless person. It just means that you no longer have that particular job. Your worth as a human being remains the same.
Self-esteem is rather fluid and changeable. It can change over time (or even from day to day). That’s why self-esteem isn’t as reliable as self-worth when it comes to planning your life goals.
Self-esteem changes depending on what other people think or say about you or what you do. If you feel good about yourself because someone compliments you or gives you positive feedback, that’s self-esteem.
However, you may also feel bad because someone criticizes you or gives you negative feedback about something you did wrong. So unlike self-worth, our self-esteem can rise and fall depending on the situation.
Self-Worth Is Something That Everyone Has, Not Everyone Has High Self-Esteem
Self-worth is something that everyone has and it comes from within. It is what tells you that you are a good person and worthy of being loved, even if you feel like a failure.
It’s what helps you get through difficult times and makes you feel that you’re still valuable, even though others may not see it. Everyone has a deep sense of whether they are good or bad, and that contributes to their self-worth.
Self-esteem is a little different. While everyone has self-worth, not everyone has high self-esteem. Self-esteem refers specifically to how much value you place on yourself and your abilities: whether you believe you deserve love, respect, and appreciation— or whether you believe you are not good enough for it.
Someone with high self-esteem may have low self-worth. For example, if they believe they do not deserve love or respect because they are not smart or talented enough, or someone with low self-esteem may have high self-worth. For example, if they know they deserve love and respect because they are kind or hardworking, even though they have no natural talent.
Self-Worth Is a Feeling, Self-Esteem Is a Judgment
Self-worth is a feeling: a sense of how valuable you are as a person. It’s something inside you that tells you that you are worth loving yourself and taking care of yourself- it’s what allows you to say, “I love myself” or “I am proud of myself.”
Self-esteem is more like judgment: it’s the belief someone has about themselves, usually based on their actions and accomplishments. Someone with high self-esteem is confident, assertive, and able to take risks without worrying about failure; someone with low self-esteem tends to be passive and hesitant, often doubting their abilities and afraid of making mistakes.
Self-esteem is often thought of as being based on achievement, but it’s important to remember that everyone has different standards for what they consider “good enough.” So while someone with high self-esteem may think they have to be perfect, someone with low self-esteem may just have to do their best.
Self-Esteem Comes From Comparing Yourself to Others, Self-Worth Comes From Accepting Yourself for Who You Are
Self-esteem is about how you compare yourself to others. It’s about your value and how you stack up against others who seem like they have it all together.
People with high self-esteem feel good about themselves because they believe they’re better than others- they feel superior or better than others in some way. They may also feel superior because of their accomplishments or abilities (like being skilled at playing an instrument), but it’s always about being better than others in some way.
If a person has low self-esteem, they may feel less than everyone else and inferior because of their shortcomings or failures (like being terrible at playing the piano). They might also feel less than everyone else because of their appearance or personality traits (if someone doesn’t like their hair color or they aren’t very outgoing).
Self-worth, on the other hand, doesn’t come from comparing yourself to others. It comes from accepting and valuing yourself for who you are, even if you’re not perfect.
People with high self-worth know that they’re good enough, even if they aren’t the best at everything. They don’t need to feel superior to others because they already feel good about themselves.
Self-Worth Gives You a Sense of Peace and Contentment, Self-Esteem Gives You a Sense of Excitement and Pleasure
Self-worth gives you a sense of peace and contentment. It comes from an inside feeling of being good enough. It’s hard to explain, but when you have it, you know it- you feel content with who you are and what you have accomplished in life.
Self-worth is also a feeling of contentment that comes from knowing that even if those around you don’t approve of all your decisions or actions, there will always be people who do— and those are the ones whose opinions matter most to you.
Self-esteem gives you a sense of excitement and pleasure. It comes from knowing that other people appreciate who you are and what you have accomplished in life. It allows you to feel good about yourself, which can make you feel more confident in your abilities and help you achieve your goals.
When you have good self-esteem, you feel good about yourself and your life, which can lead to a more positive outlook on the future. This can help achieve your goals because you are more willing to take risks and put in the effort needed to reach your goals.
Lastly, self-esteem can improve your relationships with others, as you are more likely to trust them and open up to them.
Self-Worth Is About Being Satisfied With Who You Are, Self-Esteem Is About Wanting to Be Better
Self-worth is about accepting yourself for who you are. It’s not just about the pride you feel when something good happens. It’s also about accepting your flaws and shortcomings and knowing that they do not make you any less valuable as a person. This is what allows people to recover from failures instead of letting them define them forever- it lets them get up after they fall and try again.
Self-esteem is more about progress than acceptance. It’s about striving to improve rather than settling for what you already are. It’s okay if your self-esteem is not always high: no one can be perfect all the time!
But a healthy level of self-esteem means you have the confidence to keep pursuing your goals, even when things do not go according to plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the types of self-esteem?
Inflated self-esteem
It is the form of self-esteem associated with narcissism and is defined as an inflated sense of superiority. This type of self-esteem can be harmful because it can lead to a lack of empathy, arrogance, and other negative behaviors.
People with inflated self-esteem often feel they are better than others and deserve special treatment. They may also believe they are entitled to certain things without having earned them. For example, people with inflated self-esteem often expect special treatment at work or school without making a special effort or being a team player.
The inflated type of self-esteem can lead to problems in relationships because people with this type of self-esteem often believe that they do not need the help or support of others. They may also become jealous when other people receive attention or praise that they think they deserve instead.
Low self-esteem
It is a negative opinion about yourself. It’s when you feel that you are not good enough, whether in terms of your appearance, intelligence, or personality.
There are two types of low self-esteem: internal and external.
Internal low self-esteem is when you think you’re bad at something because of who you are as a person. For example, if someone thinks that because they have red hair, that is internal low self-esteem.
External low self-esteem is when you think you are bad because your environment tells you that you are bad.
High self-esteem
It is when you feel good about yourself and have a positive attitude towards yourself. It’s not just about being self-confident, but also about having a healthy sense of who you are and your place in the world.
When you have high self-esteem, you know that you will be okay no matter what. You accept yourself as you are, regardless of any flaws or shortcomings. You believe that your opinions and feelings are valid, even if they differ from those of others. You do not need other people’s approval to feel good about yourself or to do things that are meaningful to you.
When someone has high self-esteem, they can take risks without worrying too much about failure or being judged by others because they know that if something goes wrong (and they may learn something!), they’ll still be okay. They can be open to other people because they don’t feel that everything depends on what others think of them.
High self-esteem can help people feel more confident in social situations because they don’t have to worry about being judged as harshly as someone with low self-esteem would – they already have a positive view of themselves!
What are the signs of low self-esteem?
Low self-esteem is a common problem that can lead to all kinds of problems in your life. It can make you feel like you don’t have the right to ask for what you need, or that you don’t deserve to be happy. And if you don’t recognize the signs of low self-esteem, it may take you longer than necessary to get back on track.
Signs of low self-esteem include:
You constantly apologize for everything.
You feel that everything is a struggle.
You often compare yourself to other people and think they have it better than you do.
You’re never satisfied with how things are turning out for you.
You’re always looking for reassurance from others.
You have trouble making decisions because you constantly doubt yourself.
You’re constantly worrying about what other people think of you.
You’re overly critical of yourself and your accomplishments never seem good enough.
Low self-esteem can be a vicious cycle- the more you believe negative things about yourself, the more those beliefs become true. But with the right support, you can start to change things and feel better about yourself.
How can I improve my self-esteem?
There are several ways you can improve your self-esteem. One of them is to stop comparing yourself to others. This is easier said than done, but it’s important to remember that everyone is on their own path in life and that there is no “right” way to live. What works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay!
Another way is to focus on what you have accomplished that makes you happy. Make a list of things you are proud of that have nothing to do with what others think of you. These can be things like getting a new job, taking a trip to a place you have always wanted to go, or even just learning a new cooking recipe.
Finally, try to surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. This could be friends, family members, or even co-workers. Spend time with people who make you feel appreciated and valued and who let you know they think highly of you. These positive relationships will help build your self-esteem and, in turn, your self-worth.
What causes low self-worth?
Lack of self-confidence
If you feel like you can’t do anything right, or if everything goes wrong no matter how hard you try, your self-worth may have taken a hit. This is especially true if this feeling has been there for a long time and won’t go away anytime soon.
One way to help yourself is by taking on small challenges that can boost your confidence over time. You can try something new each week and build on each success until you eventually find it easier to tackle bigger challenges with less fear.
Negative self-talk
If you tend to say negative things about yourself in your head, it can lead to lower self-worth and make it harder for other people to see your value as well. The first step to changing negative self-talk is to recognize when it occurs.
If you notice what triggers these thoughts, you can more easily recognize them when they come up again in the future. Then, you can begin to replace those thoughts with more positive thoughts.
For example, if you catch yourself thinking, “I’m so stupid, I can’t believe I made that mistake again,” try changing that thought to, “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, I’ll just learn from it and do better next time.“
Unrealistic standards
Constantly applying unrealistic standards to yourself can also lead to low self-worth. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and there is no such thing as “perfect.”
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, try to focus on what makes you unique and special. And instead of setting impossible standards for yourself, set realistic goals that you can achieve. This will help you feel better about yourself and your accomplishments— and it’s much more satisfying as well!
If you’re struggling with low self-worth, don’t hesitate to get help when you need it. You deserve to feel good about yourself, and there is no shame in getting the support you need to make that happen.
What is the importance of self-worth?
Self-worth is an important part of life. It can affect mood, how one sees oneself, and how you interact with others. If someone has low self-worth, they will likely feel defeated and insecure. On the other hand, someone with high self-worth is confident and ready to take on new challenges.
Self-worth also affects how you feel about yourself with others. If someone has low self-worth, they may believe that they are less valuable than others or that they do not deserve better than what they have in their life right now. On the other hand, those who have high self-worth feel more confident.
Self-worth can also affect your relationships because it affects how much respect you show others in your life. Those with low self-worth often do not respect themselves enough to treat others with kindness and care.
On the other hand, those who have high self-worth are more likely to treat others well because they know exactly how it feels when someone treats them badly!
How does self-esteem affect self-worth?
When we talk about how self-esteem affects self-worth, we mean that low self-esteem results in low self-worth as well. This means that even if something good happens in your life (like getting a raise at work) if you don’t feel good about yourself or think highly of yourself, it won’t really matter; it won’t boost your confidence or make you happy in any meaningful way.
And if something bad happens (like getting fired from work), it can be very difficult for someone with low self-esteem to see things that way. They’re likely to interpret the event as meaning that they are worthless and undeserving of good things in life.
However, it’s important to remember that self-esteem and self-worth are two different things. Just because you have low self-esteem doesn’t mean you have low self-worth.
It’s possible to have high self-esteem but low self-worth (because you think you’re better than everyone else and therefore deserve more than they do), or vice versa. The two concepts are independent of each other, and therefore you can work on one without changing the other.
Takeaway
Self-esteem is a measure of how you feel about yourself as a person. It is based on your past experiences and successes, as well as your beliefs about your abilities and worth.
Self-worth, on the other hand, is a measure of how much you value yourself as a person. It is not based on your accomplishments or what others think of you, but on what you think of yourself.
Both self-esteem and self-worth are important aspects of our lives, but they serve different purposes. High self-esteem can help you feel good about yourself and boost your confidence, while high self-worth can help you stay grounded in difficult situations.
Remember, it’s okay to have both high self-esteem and high self-worth – there’s no reason to choose one over the other!
