William James and his formula to enhance self-esteem

How many goals and dreams have you achieved? Nothing is as important for a human being as perceiving oneself as competent to achieve what one wants. It is true that it is not always possible to succeed in every challenge we set ourselves. After all, we are not extraordinary superheroes nor do we have the genie of the wonderful lamp.

However, the magical element that facilitates the task of conquering a part of what we want is self-esteem. We could define this dimension as the cornerstone of psychological well-being. Without it everything trembles, everything fails and any human worth is blurred. Let us keep in mind, this dimension does not consist only of the “ability to love and respect ourselves.”

Self-esteem is also the confidence we have in ourselves to be who we truly want. Self-actualized, independent people, men and women who achieve their goals and shape the life that makes them happy.

One aspect that will be interesting for us to know is that One of the first figures in psychology to delve into this construct was William James. It was in 1890, when publishing The principles of psychology It gave us a formula, a resource to evaluate our self-esteem.

William James provided an original vision on how to develop self-esteem. What we do will determine the vision we have of ourselves.

Put into practice the formula to boost your self-esteem

Something that not everyone knows about William James is that, during a time in his youth, he considered the idea of ​​taking his own life. He spent many years afflicted by strange illnesses and notable sufferings; He even carried partial deafness with him.

His father was a theologian belonging to the upper bourgeoisie. Everyone expected a lot from him; also from his brother, the famous writer Henry James. Finally, there came a moment when, carried away by an act of introspection, he told himself that this melancholy was not normal. He must be suffering from some kind of illness.

It was then that an interest, an obsession, a goal awoke in him. It was his vital purpose to know the mechanisms that governed the mind and soul. For this reason, he decided to train in psychology and philosophy.

In his best-known work, The principles of psychology (1890), provided what was one of the main definitions of self-esteem. She conceptualized it through a formula that, even now, seems as interesting as it is practical. For William James, well-being with ourselves is based on the aspirations we have and the achievements we are capable of achieving.

We delve a little deeper into its well-known formula to enhance self-esteem.

It matters what you do, not so much what you are

Currently, Many adolescents link self-esteem with body image. They assume that, to work in this area, it is enough to accept themselves as they are. Now, although it is true that this construct includes physical self-acceptance, there are many more areas that make it up and that we cannot neglect.

William James insisted that happiness and well-being come from what we do in life. It doesn’t matter who we are or what we are like, it matters what we do with our lives.. And that is when the greatest responsibility of all comes:

We must ask ourselves what we like and what we are good at. Only then can we direct all our energies towards those goals. He found meaning in his life the moment he clarified a purpose: he wanted to know the mysteries of the human mind. James insists that he always There comes a time in our existence when we must ask ourselves “what acts as our salvation?”. That will be the moment in which we will find the best motivator to grow as people.

Self-esteem needs action and movement, according to William James.

Be realistic in your aspirations

William James’ formula to enhance self-esteem is the ratio between our successes and aspirations. That is, as we achieve the goals we aspire to, self-esteem rises. But be careful, because often, Our aspirations or dreams may be unrealistic and then failure will undermine the positive vision we have of ourselves.

Let us avoid setting goals that are too high or clearly impossible. It is good to have aspirations, but let us ensure that these fit our competencies and abilities.

As William James explains to us in The principles of psychology, There are many people who spend their efforts on tasks that do not correspond to their strengths, and that’s where everything falls apart. Likewise, it is also decisive to consider another aspect. As self-esteem grows with each achievement, it’s good to increase the challenge. This is how we achieve excellence.

Go beyond fear and remember your strengths

Martin Seligman tells us about the formula to enhance self-esteem that William James uses in his book optimistic children (2011). An artifact that reminds us that One task that parents and educators have with the little ones is to promote their self-efficacy and self-confidence.. If they learn from an early age that they are capable of performing tasks on their own, they will feel competent and develop a positive self-image.

People are forced to overcome infinite difficulties and fears on a daily basis. It is true that we will fail in many of our challenges. There will even be dreams that we will have to put aside to consider others. However, it is essential that we trust in our worth and strengths. We are what we achieved in the past and also what we propose now.

Therefore, in those times when we feel stuck and distrust ourselves, it is worth looking back. We have had more than one success and are skilled in more than one area. Why not trust our strengths again and set new challenges for ourselves? Self-esteem needs action and movement, according to William James. Let’s get going.

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