Self-esteem, Self-knowledge, Self-concept, Self-image, Self-confidence and Self-acceptance

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is a concept that has been heard or read about thousands of times, but it can be very abstract and even difficult to understand (Armas, n.d.). Contrary to what many people believe, self-esteem is not about loving oneself infinitely, since when there is excessive love, it can result in a person’s inability to fully evaluate themselves, others, relationships, and reality (Macías, 2020). In this sense, self-esteem is the sense of value of one’s own existence, the judgment a person has of themselves, the way in which they exist, who they are, and the appraisal of a series of physical, psychological, and spiritual traits that make up one’s personality and determine how a person perceives themselves (Navarro, 2009). In short, according to Muñoz (2019), self-esteem is related to the evaluation people make of themselves, whether they express it or hide it.

On the other hand, self-esteem is not innate, as it is formed and developed from birth through the assimilation, reflection, and internalization of the opinions of important people in one’s environment, such as parents, friends, teachers, among others (Espina, 2019). In short, self-esteem is gradually established based on existing experiences, whether good or bad (Armas, n.d.). This means that self-esteem is a circular process; for example, if a person has high self-esteem, they behave pleasantly, are cooperative, responsible, and perform better (Navarro, 2009). Conversely, according to Navarro (2009), if a person has low self-esteem, they experience mood swings, feel distrustful, repress their emotions, and become uncooperative and irresponsible.

Finally, it is important to emphasize that self-esteem is not necessarily universal; it occurs in all aspects that form a person (Muñoz, 2019). For example, self-esteem may be high on a professional level; however, it may be low when it comes to seeking a partner. Or perhaps a person believes they have the ability to form relationships with others, but feels inadequate and unsuccessful at work (Muñoz, 2019). According to Luna (2016), one can gain self-esteem as well as lose it due to love, family and work environments, through external factors or through positive or negative self-criticism.

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Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge is one of the keys to personal development and is also one of the basic principles for being able to regulate emotions, interact with others, and strive for the objectives one wishes to achieve (Armando, 2020). In this sense, self-knowledge can be defined as a person’s ability to understand their mental state, mental processes, temperament, and preferences (Navarro, 2009). Therefore, self-knowledge is the key to good mental health, since if people know themselves, they can better understand their own lives and manage their emotions more effectively, even in the most difficult moments (Armando, 2020). 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, according to García (2019), self-knowledge is a response to one’s own capacity—in other words, the understanding a person has of themselves.

This self-image that is created is established from the moment a person is born and is developed through interaction with family, especially with the mother (Navarro, 2009). For example, if a person is often criticized during childhood, they may develop a sense of inferiority and be sensitive to rejection in adulthood; on the other hand, if this person is excessively praised, they might develop a need for approval (García, 2019). Similarly, when a person has limited self-knowledge, they feel uncomfortable with their appearance, have an excessive desire to please others, feel worried about their surroundings, and have difficulty expressing their feelings (Navarro, 2009). Conversely, according to Navarro (2020), if a person has a good self-concept, they feel secure, are not afraid of being apart from others, are satisfied with changes, do not fear criticism, and take responsibility for their own actions.

Self-concept

Self-concept refers to the beliefs that people have about themselves—that is, the opinions people have about themselves, their own nature, what they are, their characteristics, their own abilities, among others (Mendoza, 2018). Therefore, according to Sanfeliciano (2018), self-concept becomes the way in which people treat themselves; that is, what they say to themselves, how they say it, how they ask it, and how they do it. In this sense, it can be said that self-concept is very subjective, as it depends on each person and their thoughts (Mendoza, 2018). Thus, self-concept is defined in terms of beliefs, paradigms, judgments, and thoughts (Mendoza, 2018). So, if a negative event occurs, the person can engage in either constructive or destructive self-criticism (Mateo, 2018). For example, if a person fails an important exam, they might say to themselves: “I studied, but I did not pass,” meaning that next time they should study more. On the other hand, according to Mateo (2018), the person could fall into destructive criticism, in which case they would say to themselves: “I am a loser.”

Self-image

Self-image is how people see themselves (Mateo, 2018), that is, everything they believe they are, even if they cannot verify it (Bravo, 2018). This means that all people have a unique image according to their own perception, regardless of the concept of beauty (Mateo, 2018). In this sense, self-image is the vision that each person has of the image they perceive about themselves, which includes the perception of a person’s identity and characteristics (Salazar, 2015; Mateo, 2018). However, self-image does not only refer to physical characteristics, such as height or weight, but also includes the entirety of a person — that is, 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, regarding physical beauty, it can be concluded that the meaning of this concept can be completely different depending on culture and individuals (Salazar, 2015). According to Salazar (2015), it is difficult to define beauty in objective terms, since all people have a different vision of this concept, making it an entirely subjective question.

Self-confidence

Confidence can be defined as the belief that people have in successfully completing a task or choosing the best option when a problem arises (Pascual, 2019). In this sense, self-confidence can be defined as a person’s ability to know what they are and what they are not, always with the belief that they are capable of doing things — for example, knowing that they can achieve their goals, having everything necessary to reach their dreams, and possessing the right attitude (Mendoza, 2018). Thus, according to Pascual (2019), this concept helps people trust and believe in their talents, acquire new skills and knowledge, and ultimately grow through experience. However, self - confidence does not refer to the irrational and fanciful belief that people can do everything; rather, it is based on self-knowledge, since each person must know what they have while also recognizing their limitations and understanding in which aspects they need to work to achieve their own goals (Mendoza, 2018). Finally, according to Pascual (2019), self-confidence is the basis of a good self-assessment, which means better self-esteem and greater security.

Self-acceptance

Many people recognize 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 sense, acceptance is about respecting and accepting everything that surrounds people, including kindness, limitations, and flaws (Mendoza, 2018). Therefore, accepting one’s own characteristics does not mean giving up the desire to improve every day, but rather it means affirming that each person is worthy or that people are more than those aspects they dislike (Peña, 2020). Additionally, according to Peña (2020), accepting one’s own limitations and resources is the first step to setting realistic goals in life, and being able to start from what one currently has to achieve what one wants in the future.

Thus, self-acceptance is the basis for being able to grow and move toward well-being (Sánchez, 2020). This turning point allows people to see themselves from a humble perspective and love themselves as they are. However, accepting oneself does not mean persisting, changing, developing, or improving; on the contrary, what is accepted is what changes in a person, with self-acceptance being the first step toward change. In short, according to Sánchez (2020), if people accept their own identity and feelings, they become more aware of their choices and actions, thereby promoting personal development.

References

1. Armas, R. (s.f.). Factores Que Afectan a la Autoestima. Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://deconceptos.com/ciencias-naturales/autoestima

2. 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/

3. 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/

4. 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/

5. 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/

6. Mateo, N. (2018). Autoestima, autoimagen, autoconcepto - nuriamateopsicologa.com. Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://www.nuriamateopsicologa.com/autoestima-autoimagen-autoconcepto/

7. Mendoza, G. (2018). ¿Cuáles son los componentes de la Autoestima? Obtenido 7 Octubre 2020, de https://www.gestiopolis.com/cuales-los-componentes-la-autoestima/

8. Muñoz, A. (2019). ¿Qué es la autoestima? Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://www.aboutespanol.com/que-es-la-autoestima-3973133

9. Navarro, M. (2009). Autoconocimiento y Autoestima. Obtenido 5 Octubre 2020, de https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd6409.pdf

10. Pascual, M. (2019). Autoconfianza - SUMA FELICIDAD. Obtenido 8 Octubre 2020, de http://sumafelicidad.es/autoconfianza

11. 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/

12. Sánchez, G. (2020). La autoaceptación, pilar fundamental para avanzar. Obtenido 9 Octubre 2020, de https://www.psicoactiva.com/blog/la-autoaceptacion-pilar-fundamental-avanzar/

13. Sanfeliciano, A. (2018). Autoconcepto: origen y definición - La Mente es Maravillosa. Obtenido 8 Octubre 2020, de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/autoconcepto-origen-y-definicion/