Self-Worth

How-To-Build-Self-Worth

How do you assess a person's level of Self-Worth?

The first thing I would suggest is that you measure your Self-Esteem (Self-Worth & Self-Competence) with a registered Self-Esteem profile. This will give you a good starting position with which to see the areas of your Self-Worth are most in need of improvement.

A useful tool is:

Self-Image Profile for Adults (SIP-Adult)

Dr. Richard J Butler, Sarah L Gasson

Publication Year: 2004

Age Range: 17 years to 65 years

Healthy ‘Authentic’ Self-Esteem is:

‘The disposition to experience yourself as being worthy and deserving of love, respect, happiness, success and to feel competent to cope with the basic challenges of life’. Dr Nathaniel Branden, author of 'The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem’ (1994).

DXU-TRC H.A.S.E. PROFILE QR CODE

If you would like to assess your own level of Healthy 'Authentic' Self-Esteem, please scan the QR code, insert your name and email address and your results will be forwarded to you.

UNDERSTANDING HEALTHY 'AUTHENTIC' SELF-ESTEEM

Healthy ‘Authentic’ Self-Esteem is comprised of two aspects: Self-Worth and Self-Competence. Self-Worth is the value we place upon ourselves as individuals. How we feel about ourselves and how we respond to ourselves. Self-Competence being how we measure our skills and efficacy in the world.

Healthy ‘Authentic’ Self-Esteem is a balance between high to moderate Self-Worth and high to moderate Self-Competence. If there is an imbalance between worth and competence, it produces a form of ‘high’ Self-Esteem that is defensive and destructive in nature. E.g. High Self-Worth v Low- Self-Competence (Defensive Self-Esteem type 1, Narcissistic) & High Competence v Low Self-Worth (Defensive Self-Esteem type 2, Anti-social).

A person exhibiting low Self-Worth would be recognisable by the following characteristics:

  • Non-focusing
  • Non-thinking
  • Unawareness
  • Vagueness
  • Avoidance of reality
  • Indifference to facts
  • Rejection of the truth
  • Abandonment of the effort to understand.
  • Disloyalty towards our own convictions
  • Dishonesty
  • Self-avoidance
  • Closed minded
  • Perseverance in error disregard of contradictions
  • Irrationality
  • rigidity

In order to work on improving Self-Worth the following actions would need to be worked on, on a daily basis.

The act of expressing Self-Worth entails a willingness to express appropriately our thoughts, values and feelings, to stand up for ourselves, to speak and act from our deepest convictions. The following behaviours are all acts of Self-Worth:

DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS

Ensuring that once you are aware of what the right thing to do is, that you act accordingly with that knowledge.

Making sure that you are aware of and acting in accordance with your stated goals, and ensuring that your current actions moving towards not away from your stated goal.

PRACTICING SELF-INTEGRITY

Ensuring that you think for yourself and have trust in your own mind and decision making.

Being able to admit to your mistakes and correcting them.

Standing up for and upholding what you believe in and fighting for what you believe to be right.

Ensuring that it is easy enough for people to see your true intentions when you interact with them, building trust.

Being honest, trustworthy and reliable in your dealings with other people.

Ensuring that you act with congruence, that your words and actions match.

LIVING PURPOSEFULLY

Ensuring that you use your time (your 24 hours) as efficiently as possible.

TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Being able to own and admit to one’s thoughts, words, actions and reactions whether they be right or wrong.

PRACTICING SELF-ACCEPTANCE

Acting in ways that assert your right to exist by being primarily on your own side and being willing to fight for your life.

Acting respectfully to self and others and treating people as you would also want to be treated.

Being able to treat yourself compassionately and with love, forgiving yourself for past mistakes.

Being content, accepting yourself as you are without a desire to change yourself.

PRACTICING SELF-ASSERTIVENESS

Be prepared to challenge what you feel is wrong, inappropriate, or that you disagree with.

Always acting in ways that encourage others to treat you respectfully.

Being your truest self in all encounters.

Ensuring that you say what you mean and mean what you say by following through with action.

Being prepared to stand up for what you believe in.

Ensuring that you speak up for and defend your legitimate interests and needs.