As we work to develop a healthy self-esteem, let’s also work to remind ourselves of what we already know: other people’s assessments of us can be damaging, whether or not they’re accurate.

If enough people called me stupid or ugly as a child, very soon I’ll believe that about myself. And as survivors we often don’t trust other adults now, so even when someone says good things about us we’re not always convinced that they mean it or that it’s true.  

We can modify our actions based on feedback from people, but changing our behavior doesn’t always equal changing our self-concept. Let’s try not to base our self-esteem on what other people think, good or bad.

Photo by Marjan Grabowski on Unsplash