Assess your own level of self-esteem by honestly answering these questions. Think about how you feel most of the time. If you answered most of these questions by checking “yes,” your self-esteem could probably use a tune-up. If you answered most of these questions by checking “yes,” you probably haveContinue Reading
Your self-esteem is one of your most important human traits. It influences many areas of your life, so assessing your current level of self-esteem should be a top priority. Take a few minutes and complete the self-esteem quiz. Check which you agree with on each of the following statements: ToContinue Reading
How we feel about ourselves is very important. And its importance in psychology dates back over 125 years. The father of psychology William James (1842-1910), devoted more than 100 pages to the toipic of self in his book “Principles of Psychology” (1890). Today, the self is one of western psychology’sContinue Reading
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose” said American author Robert Byrne (1930-2016). This important yet simple statement is the answer to a question that has been asked throughout all of history. Why are we here? What is the purpose of our lives? Underlying these questions is theContinue Reading
The idea of the Neurotic Self was introduced by psychoanalyst Karen Horney (1885-1952). She put forth the theory that the neurotic self is split between an “idealized self” and a “real self,” and that unhealthy or “toxic,” social environments are likely to create unhealthy belief systems – hindering people fromContinue Reading
Some people mistake evidence of cuts, burns, or needle punctures on someone’s arm, leg or other body parts as an indication of suicide attempt. While there is some truth to connecting cut marks with a sign of suicide hesitation or acting out, experts who study post-traumatic stress (PTSD) victims believeContinue Reading
Self-blaming is simply finding fault with yourself. To hold yourself responsible for your actions when bad things happen to you. Ordinarily this would be an admirable quality. Knowing that you did something wrong is a useful lesson learned, so as not to repeat the same mistake. Guilt and self-blaming keepsContinue Reading
There are many types of defense mechanisms (Sigmund Freud referred to these as self-deceptions) that we use to help us deal with anxiety. They can be very rewarding in reducing stressful feelings. Once we learn how to use them and see how well they work, these defense mechanisms can beContinue Reading
According to Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), our psyche resembles an iceberg, with the area of primitive drives, the Id, lying hidden in the unconscious. The Ego interacts with conscious thoughts and regulates both the Id and the Superego – our critical judging voice. The Id The Id, is formed of innate,Continue Reading