Having high self-esteem has very little to do with the progress of our careers. Rather, it is largely about coming to terms with ourselves.
In summary, ow much self-esteem you have is incongruent with what you have achieved. Instead, its is largely linked to the three following factors.
1. What your same-sex parent did, or whether you achieved more or less than him/her.
2. What your peer group is doing.
3. What kind of love your received in childhood. Whether they were conditional or unconditional
These factors, however, are largely out of our control. You could say that it is more akin to lottery whether we have high self-esteem. Fortunately, these are not the sole factors, and there is something you can still do about it. Ultimately, you need only be contented with your financial, emotional or physical success. It is, in huge part, about coming to terms with yourself.
The School of Life is a Youtube channel and organisation devoted to helping people lead calmer and more resilient lives. They output videos like the one above and others based on topics from philosophy to buddhism as it applies to modern life.
