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Washington Ethical Society
7750 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20012
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Why is human worth the foundation for self-esteem? 
People often base their self-esteem on their value, that is, their usefulness, approval, or achievements. When self-esteem is conditional on success, we must repeatedly prove ourselves to keep our self-esteem from slipping away. Inevitably, self-esteem founded on value rather than inherent worth rises and falls with our circumstances. Everyone suffers times of illness, misfortune, social and economic downturns, frustrations and failures. We most need strong self-esteem when facing the risk of an ambitious challenge or when experiencing loss, but at these times, value-based self-esteem is most in doubt. Even the natural process of learning by trial and error is undermined when we experience mistakes as lost self-esteem. Faith in human worth means seeing yourself as deserving of respect, as a good and creative being, regardless of circumstances. Founding your self-image, not on what you achieve, but on your human worth allows you to give your best to the most difficult challenges because you are not putting your self-esteem at risk. Instead you are giving yourself an opportunity to explore and express your good and creative nature.
The one occasion where self-doubt is based on behavior is when you act unkindly, unfairly, dishonestly, or without joy. When self-esteem is founded on worth, self-doubt indicates that we have treated ourselves or someone else disrespectfully. However, we are never trapped by self-doubt because by expressing our good will we can regain our sense of self-respect. Material success may be illusive, but the ability to act rightly is within our power. |
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