Self-esteem is a familiar phrase and low self-esteem is often used as an excuse for a wide range of behaviours, but what does it mean?
Q. How would you define self-esteem? Write down on paper what it means to you now!
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, self-esteem can be defined as ‘a good opinion of oneself’. In a survey conducted by the CTPA (for more information about this survey and the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, CTPA, see www.ctpa.org.uk/research), the majority of people said self-esteem was about having self-respect and confidence, but in many ways it is more than this. The modern philosopher Alain de Botton said “self-esteem is about how far you’ve obtained your goals and how far you measure up to your ideals.
