Self-Respect and Self Esteem

Self-Respect and Self Esteem

We have often heard the mention of two word that are used very commonly, in connection with your personality. Self-Respect and Self Esteem. Most often these terms are referred to in a manner that they seem synonymous. However are they both the same? If not what are the differences and how do we gauge these in our own self.
Though used in a manner that sounds similar, Self-respect and self-esteem are not the same. In fact there exists a vast difference between these two concepts. Let us first of define these very similar sounding yet vastly different concepts. Self-respect refers to how an individual regards himself. This respect that makes the individual act in a manner that he wouldn’t lose respect for himself. On the other hand, self-esteem refers to an appreciation that an individual has for his abilities and skills. This highlights that the key difference between self-respect and self-esteem is that while self-respect concentrates on the individual for who he is, self-esteem concentrates on the abilities and skills of the individual.
Self-respect can be defined as the regard a person has for himself. Some believe that this is a form of acceptance of self. Having self-respect is very important. If a person has no self-respect he can be bullied, ridiculed, and tormented by others. Such a person finds it difficult to survive in the society because he can become a victim quite easily. Having self-respect does not denote that the individual is becoming pompous, or arrogant on the other hand; it highlights that the individual has standards and principles by which he lives.
Self-respect is not something that applies only to a class of people. Irrespective of a person’s class, caste, religion or even colour, everyone has self-respect. This makes the individual maintain a regard for one’s self. It is when a person learns to respect himself that he can learn to respect others as well. Psychologists believe that children should be taught to develop their self-respect, more than self-esteem because it lays a strong foundation for self.
Moving on to self-esteem, it can be defined as an appreciation that an individual has for himself. This can be based on the evaluation of one’s abilities and skills. For an example, in a classroom, the child who scores better and is praised by others can have a higher self-esteem, in comparison to the child who is often scolded and laughed at by others.
This is why people say that he has a high self-esteem, or else he has a low self-esteem. A person who has a high self-esteem is conscious of his achievements, and he evaluated himself as higher than others. But, someone who has a low self-esteem evaluates himself as lower than others. He may be shy, and is more prone to doubt his skills. Even if such an individual is talented, he is afraid of failing. In this sense, a person with low self-esteem can lack confidence. This trait can affect not only his performance but also his growth as well.
Self-esteem can easily be repaired or shattered by the opinions of others since it is an evaluation of one’s skills. When the individual feels that his skills are deteriorating or are not up to standard esteem can be damaged. On the contrary respect that the individual has for himself cannot be destroyed so easily. This highlights that although self-respect and self-esteem appear to be similar in meaning they are not so. The difference between the two can be summarized as follows.
The key differences between the two are:
● Self-respect is difficult to shatter since it is a form of acceptance.
● Self Esteem: Self-esteem can be shattered as it is mostly boosted by others opinions and reactions.