What Is One Worth?

What Is One Worth?

In the depths of an individual’s being, lies his or her self-worth. Self-worth molds individuals into who they are, what they want to become. Self-worth lies at the heart of self-esteem. Self-esteem is, Palladino (1994) a blend of “self-confidence, self-worth, and self-respect. It involves respecting others, [along with] feeling a sense of harmony and peace within yourself” (sec.1p.1). The secret to higher self-esteem is the incentive to take accountability for one’s viewpoints, such as his or her aspirations, ethics, capabilities, and curiosities and to understand that these things combined is what makes them who they are (Palladino, 1994). However, the quest of higher self-esteem at times will cause sacrifices to be made by the individual to education, relationships, self-regulation, mental and physical health, as well as other concerns (Crocker & Knight, 2005).

Palladino, (1994) noted that “self-esteem reflects [who each individual is] to everyone with whom [they] come into contact with (sec.1p.1). Self-esteem does not remain the same throughout an individual’s lifetime. There are many circumstances that come and go that causes self-esteem to also change. As stated by Palladino, (1994) “self-esteem is both conscious and unconscious. It is an ongoing assessment of who someone is; a belief about what they can and cannot do” (sec.1p. 1). For example, when a person buys a house, self-esteem will be high. If a person loses his or her house due to foreclosure, self-esteem can be low.

Carl Rogers, one of the most influential psychologists in the 20th century, stated that [self-worth can be viewed as a gauge from high to low. There are times in one’s life where they are capable of handling the ba...

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... life. However, each individual if they choose to do so can take charge over his or her life, and he or she can create better alternatives for themselves.

References

Crocker, Jennifer & Knight, Katherine M. (2005). Contingencies of Self Worth. Current Directions in Psychological Science (Wiley-Blackwell). Vol. 14 (Issue 4), pages 4, 200-203.

McLeod, S.A. (2007). Simply Psychology; Carl Rogers. Retrieved April 26, 2012 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html

Palladino, Connie D. (1994). Developing Self Esteem: A Guide for Positive Success. Menlo Park, California: Crisp Publications.

Vohs, Kathleen D (Editor); Finkel, Eli J. (2006). Self and Relationships: Connecting

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Processes. New York, NY, USA: Guilford Press. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/apus/Doc?id=10172290&ppg=48