Signs of low self-esteem: are you a victim of low self-esteem?

There are some people in this world who walk around with their chests pushed out like a peacock and their heads held high as if they are ready to conquer the world in one fell swoop. Then there are others who shuffle by, barely lifting their feet off the ground and staring at the ground in front of them as they walk. The latter person may be suffering from low self-esteem. As children, we learn through our family and environment how we should feel about ourselves. If we are constantly receiving praise and attention from our parents and friends, more than likely, we will have a healthy self-esteem or sense of worth. However, if we are told that we are not good enough or are often ridiculed, we might have lower self-esteem or feel we are unworthy of good fortune. Here are some signs that you might be a victim of low self-esteem.

* Do you find yourself using cynical or hopeless language? For example, if a friend asks you to take a salsa dance class with her, is your first thought or statement, “I can’t dance.” Do you hear yourself saying things like “I could never do that?” If so, you might suffer from low self-esteem. Those who suffer from it often feel that they will not be able to accomplish certain tasks without a monumental struggle. They ignore their natural talents and abilities and automatically, upon hearing of a new challenge, assume they will be unable to do so.

* When somebody gives you a compliment, do you immediately brush it off and think to yourself that the person only said it because they felt sorry for you? You might have low self-esteem. Instead of graciously thanking a person who compliments you, you might automatically start wondering why they said what they said. For example, if somebody said your hair looks nice, your first thought might, be, “Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

* When you are the center of attention do you feel completely embarrassed? Those with low self-esteem hate to be the focus of any conversation. In a group setting, they will hold back on saying their opinions, for fear they might sound stupid. At a party, you will not find a person with low self-esteem commanding the attention of a group of people.

* If you have low self-esteem, you will find yourself constantly berating your physical attributes or mental capacity or comparing yourself to everybody else. You might say things like, “My thighs are so huge, I look horrible in anything I wear,” or “If only I was as smart as Jack.”

* Anybody with low self-esteem will put a lot of stock in other people’s opinions about them. For instance, if you attend a party and you find yourself enjoying how you look, if one person says something like, “Why did you wear those shoes with that dress?” you will start second-guessing yourself and hating your outfit. On the contrary, if you did not have low self-esteem, it would be extremely difficult for anybody to make you feel bad about the choices you have made.

* Those with low self-esteem are scared of taking risks or trying new challenges, because they are terrified of failing. Failure is a big issue for those with low self-esteem. While many people see and accept failure as a way of learning new things, those with low self-esteem see failure as something very final. One failure will often stop somebody with low self-esteem from pursuing a challenge any further.