ABSTRACT
Most people would probably agree that having high self-esteem is desirable. It feels good to hold positive views of one’s self and to feel like a valuable person. Indeed, some researchers have suggested that trying to maintain a positive view of the self is an important goal for most people in western cultures (Taylor & Brown, 1988). Likewise, there is a widespread belief among the general public as well as among educators, therapists, politicians, and other influential individuals that self-esteem is the cause of many of society’s ills and triumphs (e.g., California Task Force, 1990). In 1986, California even appropriated a $245,000 annual budget to support a task force on self-esteem. California state legislators expressed hope that raising self-esteem would reduce crime, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, school underachievement, and even pollution. In this view, which is sometimes labeled the Self-Esteem Movement, high self-esteem causes people to develop superior social skills, intellect, and healthier lifestyles. People with low self-esteem are predicted to be less successful in their work and in their personal relationships, and are less productive citizens. The Self-Esteem Movement supports attempts to raise the self-esteem of people in the hope that higher self-esteem would lead to better personal and societal outcomes (California Task Force, 1990).
