The Dangers Of Excessively High Self-Esteem

Having an excessively high self-esteem is neither positive nor healthy. Being too confident and overestimating your worth leads to problematic behaviors and attitudes. These types of people do not take responsibility for their own mistakes and they also have narcissistic tendencies.

Self-image is a very important topic in the world of personal growth. New books and articles are constantly being published on how to stimulate this psychological ‘muscle’, which is crucial to your well-being.

That said, some writers fail to talk about the negatives of high self-esteem. Today we will talk about that.

It is important to clarify that the antidote to low self-esteem is not high self-esteem. Extremes are always dangerous and harmful. If you swing from one extreme to the other, you just create more problems.

So it is important to explain what we mean by a healthy self-image. In modern society, leadership, self-love and self-confidence are considered important. However, you should always remember that “the more the better” is not always the right way.

People with excessively high self-esteem

One of the most interesting books by social psychologist Albert Bandura is called Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control. In his book, Bandura argues that perceived effectiveness and self-image are key factors in managing problems and being successful in every aspect of life.

Many things can get in the way of your goals and happiness, such as low self-esteem and high self-esteem. They are both equally bad.

A high self-esteem and a world without borders

Child psychologists often point out that children need to learn early on that the world has limits. They need to understand that there are rules and you don’t always get what you want. Being able to tolerate frustration is an essential life skill. If you never learn how to do this, you can face a lot of problems.

Many children and teens learn that they can get what they want. They are like little kings and queens. They feel they have the right to do and have what their heart desires.

Raising children with this excessively high self-esteem can turn them into self-centered, abusive, arrogant and impulsive people. Thus, the dangers of high self-esteem usually stem from the upbringing of children.

Excessively high self-esteem does not lead to success or happiness

Contrary to what you might think, having an extra high self-esteem will not make you more successful. Instead, it leads to the following problems:

• It makes you believe that the projects, tasks, or jobs that other people are proposing to you are too low for you. As a result, your pride makes you miss many good opportunities.
• Arrogance and a sense of entitlement to something distance you from those around you. Having a huge ego makes other people feel uncomfortable.
• You are blind to your own mistakes, so you cannot learn from your mistakes. Your failures are always someone else’s fault, never your own.
• In relationships, having too much self-esteem can make it impossible to see things from your partner’s perspective. In the worst case, this can lead to abuse.

• It can also cause serious problems in your working relationships and your friendships.

Overconfidence and crime

For a long time, researchers associated criminal behavior with low self-esteem. In recent years, however, studies have shown that high self-esteem is also associated with violent acts.

A study by Dr. Robert Roy F. Baumeister at Princeton University explains that a sense of superiority is a decisive factor in many criminal behavior.

Many criminals show signs of narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy, which are accompanied by an excessively high self-esteem that justifies their bad behavior. They think too much of themselves and therefore believe that they can and should have everything they want.

In short, a high self-esteem also has a dark side. Everyone knows that low self-esteem is risky, but so is the other extreme. Self-esteem is ultimately the art of self-care.

However, it becomes unhealthy when it goes to either extreme. So the key is to find that perfect balance between self-esteem and respect for others.