Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a concept that has been heard or read thousands of times, but this can be very abstract and even difficult to understand (Armas, n.d.). Contrary to what many people believe, in correspondence with Macias (2020), self-esteem is not about loving oneself infinitely, since, when there is excessive love, it can result in the inability of people to fully evaluate themselves, others, relationships and reality.
In this order of ideas, self-esteem is the sense of value of one's own existence, of the judgment that the person has of himself, of the way in which he exists, who he is, and of the valuation of a series of physical, psychological and spiritual traits that make up the personality and determine the way in which the person perceives himself (Navarro, 2009). In short, self-esteem is related to the evaluation that people make of themselves (Muñoz, 2019), whether they express it or hide it.
On the other hand, self-esteem is not innate, since, it is formed and developed from birth, due to assimilation, reflection and internalization of the opinions of important people in the environment, such as, for example, parents, friends, teachers, among others (Espina, 2019). In short, according to Armas (n.d.), self-esteem is gradually established based on existing experiences, whether good or bad.
This means that self-esteem is a circular process, for example if a person has high self-esteem, he/she behaves in a pleasant way, is cooperative, responsible and his/her performance is higher (Navarro, 2009). On the contrary, according to Navarro (2009), if a person has low self-esteem, he/she experiences mood swings, feels distrustful, represses his/her emotions and becomes uncooperative and irresponsible.
Finally, it is important to highlight that self-esteem is not necessarily something universal, it occurs in all aspects that form the person (Muñoz, 2019). For example, self-esteem may be high at the professional level, however, it is low when it comes to looking for a partner. Or perhaps, the person believes that he or she has the ability to engage in relationships with others, but feels insufficient and unsuccessful at work (Muñoz, 2019). According to Luna (2016), one can gain self-esteem, as well as lose self-esteem through love, family and work environments, through external factors or positive or negative self-criticism.
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge is one of the keys to personal development, and is also one of the basic principles to be able to regulate emotions, interact with others and strive for the goals one wants to achieve (Armando, 2020). In this order of ideas, self-knowledge can be defined as the ability of a person to understand his or her mental state, mental processes, temperament and preferences (Navarro, 2009). Thus, according to Armando (2020), self-knowledge is the key to good mental health, since, if people know themselves, they can better understand their own lives and better control their emotions, even in the most difficult moments.
In other words, people with good self-knowledge manage to understand themselves psychologically, that is, they understand how their mind, emotions and personality work (García, 2019). In short, in correspondence with Garcia (2019) self-knowledge is a response to one's own capacity, that is, a person's understanding of him/herself.
This image that has been created is established from the moment a person is born, and is developed through interaction with the family, especially with the mother (Navarro, 2009). For example, according to Garcia (2019), if a person is often criticized as a child, he or she may develop a sense of inferiority and be sensitive to rejection in adulthood; on the other hand, if this person is praised excessively, he or she may develop a need for approval.
Similarly, when a person has limited self-knowledge, he or she feels uncomfortable with his or her appearance, has an excessive desire to please others, feels concerned about the environment and has difficulty expressing feelings (Navarro, 2009). On the contrary, according to Navarro (2020), if a person has a good self-concept, feels secure, is not afraid to separate from others, is satisfied with changes, is not afraid of criticism and is responsible for his or her own actions.
Self-concept
Self-concept refers to the beliefs that people have about themselves, that is, the opinions that people have about themselves, about their own nature, about what they are, about their characteristics, about their own abilities, among others (Mendoza, 2018). Therefore, in accordance with Sanfeliciano (2018), self-concept becomes the way in which people treat themselves, that is, what they say to themselves, how they say it to themselves, how they ask about it and how they do it.
In this order of ideas, it can be said that self-concept is very subjective, since, this depends on each person and their thinking (Mendoza, 2018). Therefore, self-concept is defined in terms of beliefs, paradigms, judgments and thoughts (Mendoza, 2018). Then, if a negative event happens based on the self-concept, the person can make a constructive or destructive criticism (Mateo, 2018). For example, if a person fails an important exam, he/she can say to him/herself: I have studied, but I have not passed, this means that, for the next one, I must study more. On the other hand, according to Mateo (2018), this person may fall into destructive criticism, in which case the person will say to himself or herself: I am a loser or a loser.
Self-image
Self-image is how people see themselves (Mateo, 2018), i.e., everything they think they are, even if they cannot prove it (Bravo, 2018). Corresponding to Mateo (2018), this means that all people have a unique image according to their own perception, regardless of the concept of beauty.
In this order of ideas, self-image is the vision that each person has of the image they perceive about themselves (Mateo, 2018), this includes the perception of a person's identity and characteristics (Salazar, 2015). However, self-image does not only refer to physical characteristics, such as height, weight, among others, but also includes the totality of a person, i.e., everything they have learned. In other words, according to Salazar (2015), self-image is a combination of one's own experience and how people interpret the thoughts or judgments of others about it.
Finally, in relation to physical beauty, it can be concluded that the meaning of this concept can be completely different according to culture and people (Salazar, 2015). In correspondence with Salazar (2015), it is difficult to define beauty in objective terms, since, all people have a different view of this concept, so this becomes a completely subjective question.
Self-confidence
Confidence can be defined as the belief that people have to successfully complete a task or choose the best option when a problem arises (Pascual, 2019). In this order of ideas, self-confidence can be defined as the ability of people to know what they are and what they are not, but always with the belief that they are capable of doing things, for example, knowing that they can achieve their goals, having everything they need to achieve their dreams and having the right attitude (Mendoza, 2018). Thus, in accordance with Pascual (2019), this concept helps people to trust and believe in their talents, to acquire new skills and knowledge and, ultimately, to grow through experience.
However, self-confidence does not refer to the irrational and fanciful belief that people can do everything, but is based on self-knowledge, since, each person must know what he or she has, but at the same time know his or her limitations and in which aspects he or she must work to achieve one's goals (Mendoza, 2018). Finally, according to Pascual (2019), self-confidence is the basis of a good personal valuation, this means better self-esteem and greater security.
Self-acceptance
Many people realize their wealth, their achievements, know that they are attractive, know their talents and even serve others, but they do not accept themselves, they feel that what they have is not enough and that they are worthless (Mendoza, 2018). In this order of ideas, according to Mendoza (2018), acceptance is about respecting and accepting everything that surrounds people, including goodness, limitations and defects.
Therefore, accepting one's own characteristics does not mean giving up the desire to improve every day, but rather it is about saying that each person is worthy or that people are more than those things they dislike (Peña, 2020). Furthermore, according to Peña (2020), accepting one's own limitations and resources is the first step in setting realistic goals in life, and being able to start from what one has at this moment to achieve what one wants in the future.
Thus, self-acceptance is the basis for being able to grow and move towards health (Sanchez, 2020). This turning point allows people to see themselves from a humble perspective and to love themselves in their own state. Now, accepting oneself does not mean persisting, changing, developing or improving, on the contrary, what is accepted is what changes the person, being self-acceptance the first step for change. In short, according to Sanchez (2020), if people accept their own identity and their own feelings, they become more aware of their choices and actions, thus promoting their own development.
References
Armas, R. (s.f.). Factores Que Afectan a la Autoestima. Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://deconceptos.com/ciencias-naturales/autoestima
Espina, M. (2019). LA AUTOESTIMA: VALORACIÓN DE UNO MISMO - Marisa Espina. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://marisaespina.com/la-autoestima-y-valoracion-de-uno-mismo/
García, A. (2019). Autoconocimiento | Qué es y cómo conseguirlo | Cognifit. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://blog.cognifit.com/es/que-es-el-autoconocimiento-y-como-conseguirlo/
Luna, S. (2016). ¿Qué es la autoestima? ¿Para qué sirve la autoestima?. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://psicologiaparaelpublico.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/que-es-la-autoestima-para-que-sirve-la-autoestima/
Macías, I. (2020). La Autoestima En El Proceso De Autoconocimiento. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://claustroeneb.es/2020/02/21/la-autoestima-en-el-proceso-de-autoconocimiento/
Mateo, N. (2018). Autoestima, autoimagen, autoconcepto - nuriamateopsicologa.com. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://www.nuriamateopsicologa.com/autoestima-autoimagen-autoconcepto/
Mendoza, G. (2018). ¿Cuáles son los componentes de la Autoestima? Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://www.gestiopolis.com/cuales-los-componentes-la-autoestima/
Muñoz, A. (2019). ¿Qué es la autoestima? Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://www.aboutespanol.com/que-es-la-autoestima-3973133
Navarro, M. (2009). Autoconocimiento y Autoestima. Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd6409.pdf
Pascual, M. (2019). Autoconfianza - SUMA FELICIDAD. Obtenido 8 Octubre 2020, de http://sumafelicidad.es/autoconfianza
Peña, B. (2020). La autoaceptación está en el camino de la felicidad. Obtenido 9 Octubre 2020, de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/la-autoaceptacion-es-otra-forma-para-ser-feliz/
Sánchez, G. (2020). La autoaceptación, pilar fundamental para avanzar. Obtenido 9 Octubre 2020, de https://www.psicoactiva.com/blog/la-autoaceptacion-pilar-fundamental-avanzar/
Sanfeliciano, A. (2018). Autoconcepto: origen y definición - La Mente es Maravillosa. Obtenido 8 Octubre 2020, de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/autoconcepto-origen-y-definicion/
