Exploding the self-esteem myth

Boosting people's sense of self worth in fostering academic progress or preventing undesirable behavior is discussed. The attention to self-esteem has become a communal concern for people who see a favorable opinion of oneself as the psychological source from which all manner of positive outcomes spring. People recognize the importance of self-esteem to their psychological health, and most of them try to enhance it whenever possible. The fact that low self-esteem lies at the root of individual and societal problems and dysfunctions has sustained an ambitious social agenda for decades.