Do You Really Like Who You Are?

by WiredBerries Editors — May 6, 2008

You love yourself, you love yourself not, you love yourself...A study published in the latest issue of Journal of Personality found that high self-esteem is not the same as healthy self-esteem. This new research by Michael Kernis, a psychology professor from the University of Georgia, reveals that those with "secure" high self-esteem are less likely to be verbally defensive than those who have "fragile" high self-esteem.

"Our findings offer strong support for a multi-component model of self-esteem that highlights the distinction between its fragile and secure forms," said Kernis. "Individuals with low self-esteem or fragile high self-esteem were more verbally defensive than individuals with secure high self-esteem. One reason for this is that potential threats are in fact more threatening to people with low or fragile high self-esteem than those with secure high self-esteem, and so they work harder to counteract them."

In contrast, individuals with secure high self-esteem appear to accept themselves "warts and all," and, feeling less threatened, they are less likely to be defensive by blaming others or providing excuses when they speak about past transgressions or threatening experiences.

It can take some of us years to be comfortable in our own skin and truly like ourselves; take the time to be honest with yourself and learn to sincerely and truly appreciate who you are!