Like everyone, you have a self-concept, a sense of who you are. It’s the perception you hold in your mind about yourself, how you feel about yourself, and the opinions you hold regarding what you can attain in life and how well you can manage everyday demands.
The dictionary says that “self” means “one’s own person” and that “esteem” means “having high regard, respect, admiration.” So people with healthy self-esteem have great respect and admiration for themselves. They hold themselves in high regard.
Conversely, people with low self-esteem have little regard for themselves, don’t respect themselves, and certainly don’t admire themselves. They have little or no confidence and belittle themselves with their own thoughts.
What are the consequences of having low self-esteem? You feel insignificant and lonely. You feel that you don’t matter and that no one cares about you. You have little purpose in life and no reason to dream about doing anything worthwhile.
Because you’re not worthy of other people’s love or friendship, you find it difficult to have an open, honest relationship. Most likely, you feel stuck at work, do a mediocre job, and are less likely to get promotions or raises.