The Difference Between Self-Esteem And Self-Confidence
Most people use the words “self-esteem” and “self-confidence” interchangeably, but differences do exist between the two.
What’s self-esteem?
The term “esteem” can be easily swapped with the word “approval.” When you hold someone in high esteem, you approve of them. If you have healthy self-esteem, you approve of yourself. Many people with low self-esteem don’t approve of themselves. They often believe that they aren’t good enough. If you have low self-esteem, the key to raising it is working on recognizing your value, so you see yourself as acceptable and worthwhile.
What’s self-confidence?
Confidence is all about certainty. When you have self-confidence, you believe you are capable as an individual. But, while you may feel confident in your ability to take care of most everyday tasks, you might doubt your ability to carry out other tasks, such as public speaking. Self-confidence waxes and wanes depending on the situation. To increase your self-confidence, it’s essential to go outside your comfort zone so that you discover you are far more capable than you imagine. As your self-confidence grows, your courage will also expand.
How can you boost your self-confidence and self-esteem?
Though self-confidence and self-esteem share similarities, they are also different. It’s possible to be self-confident yet suffer from low self-esteem. Lack of self-esteem usually exists on a deeper level and requires a lot of self-work. Low self-confidence can generally be remedied by gaining knowledge, expanding skills, and practicing.
You can help improve self-confidence and self-esteem by:
- Writing down qualities others say you excel in and value in you.
- Stopping negative self-talk; think of contradictions to these statements.
- Making a list of your strengths.
It’s crucial to recognize whether you have low self-esteem or lack self-confidence so that you can more effectively tackle the issue.
References
- “There’s a Difference Between Confidence and Self-Esteem,” Medium, October 11, 2018.
- “Self-Confidence versus Self-Esteem,” Psychology Today, October 15, 2015.
