Ways that Self-Esteem Impacts Self-Confidence

The way we believe in ourselves directly affects our self-confidence as well as the quality of life that we live. People who believe that they do not possess basic problem solving skills are prone to giving up whereas those who really do not possess these abilities but believe in themselves tend to do far better. This is due in large part to self-belief which results in the person feeling more confident about trying.

Many teachers notice that there is only a small percentage of students who ask questions during classes. Although one might suppose that this means the others all understood the lesson it is important to remember that many keep silent simply because they do not feel confident enough to raise a question. They fear appearing foolish in front of their peers and this is just one aspect where self-confidence, or the lack thereof, can impact a person's life. The only real way to improve this is for the students to learn the art of believing in themselves.

It is for this reason that self-belief is so vital because it allows a person to set goals that might otherwise seem overly adventurous. It makes negative thinking void and puts an end to feelings of fear over possible failure. Self-doubt, low self-esteem and low self-confidence often results in an individual being and under-achiever even though they really possess the knowledge they need to succeed. When the student is in control and believes more in him or herself they are able to ask a question without worrying about whether or not the question is silly.

A great example of someone who believed in himself is Abraham Lincoln. Although he lost all the elections until he reached the Senate and stood for the highest office in the land, that of President, he refused to let these apparent failures chip away at his self-belief. It is interesting to speculate on how different the United States might be if he had lost his belief in himself and his abilities.

With self-belief comes the confidence that allows you to accept your failures. It helps to teach you the value of thinking positively. People who have high self-esteem do not concern themselves about failures. Rather, they elect to uncover the reasons behind it, the causes that prevented them from succeeding. In other words they search out the lessons they can learn from their experiences. Of course this is sometimes easier said than done but in order to benefit from positive thinking one needs to have self-esteem.

Self-esteem is responsible for so much in our lives, whether it is becoming part or an unfamiliar group or some other scenario, those who lack it will find ways of not trying at all. They are afraid that if they do so they might encourage ridicule from others or be seen as introvert, timid or just plain ignorant. These people prefer to go through life unnoticed.

It is interesting to note that in social settings, meetings, conferences, etc, wherever there is a group of people, the one with no self-esteem actually is glaringly obvious. These people will not confidently introduce themselves to the other people and will try to find secluded places where they can attempt to remain unnoticed. The people with high self-esteem, on the other hand, tend to dominate the conversations and they become respected by their peers who will often approach them for their assistance. These are the people that others want to be around. All of this results from having self-confidence even around strangers. The student who falls into either category is likely to do so once they reach the job market as well.

Because low self-esteem lowers self-confidence there is always the possibility that the person could turn to alcohol or drugs especially since these help them feel more confident. Of course this is a dangerous game and certainly should not be considered because it will ultimately destroy what little self-esteem they might possess in the first place. Building self-esteem is the only way to go but it does require commitment and effort. You might have to start all over even if this means that you find alternative employment elsewhere as well as a new group of friends. This is helpful because these people will have no pre-conceived ideas or opinions about you.

It is important to note that unless you develop self-respect and belief in yourself that you are just as good as anyone else you will not find that anything works. Everyone has strong and weak points and you are not the only one who experiences these things. Instead of projecting the weaker points it is more beneficial to project the stronger ones by focusing on your priorities in life. Doing so will help you to find the self-confidence you need to succeed.