What is Self-Esteem?

Summary

In this video, 17-year-old Jules shares her passion for running, writing, and her blog, which focuses on body image and self-esteem. With contributions from a clinical psychologist and a self-esteem expert, Jules discusses the importance of self-worth and how it evolves over time. She addresses the negative impacts of social media and encourages viewers to embrace their self-worth despite life's challenges, advocating for a balanced and compassionate view of self-esteem.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jules, a 17-year-old, runs a blog where they share their thoughts on body image and self-esteem.
• 🤗 Jules enjoys writing, running, eating hot chips, and hanging out with their best friend Marcus.
• 🧠 Steve Lester, a clinical psychologist, contributes thoughts on self-esteem, emphasizing its connection to self-belief and self-image.
• 🌍 Self-esteem relates to how we perceive ourselves within the context of our community, family, and friends.
• 💪 Jules reflects on self-worth and how passive-aggressive comments on social media can hurt but prefers to respond with positivity.
• 🙌 Positive self-esteem is about believing in one's ability to cope and thrive, not just about being happy.
• 💖 Lucy Thomas, another contributor, stresses the importance of understanding self-worth and having a positive attitude towards oneself.
• 🔗 Negative comments or events do not define one's value, and Jules is learning that they are enough as they are.
• 🎭 Excessive self-esteem can lead to overconfidence, and it's important to balance confidence with self-compassion.
• 📱 Social media can distort reality, making people feel like outsiders while only showing curated aspects of others' lives.

Q & A

Who is Jules and what are their main interests?

Jules is a 17-year-old who enjoys running, writing on their blog, eating hot chips, and hanging out with their best friend Marcus.

What is Jules currently focused on writing about?

Jules is currently focused on writing about body image, self-esteem, and related topics.

Who are the two main contributors mentioned in Jules' blog, and what do they specialize in?

The two contributors are Steve Lester, a clinical psychologist from Headspace, who talks about self-esteem, and Lucy Thomas from Project Rocket, who discusses self-worth and attitudes towards oneself.

How does Steve Lester define self-esteem?

Steve defines self-esteem as beliefs about ourselves, including self-image and how we think we are perceived by others, such as friends, family, and the community. He emphasizes that self-esteem can grow and change over time.

What is Lucy Thomas' perspective on self-esteem?

Lucy Thomas sees self-esteem as a general attitude towards oneself, not based on monetary worth, but on the value we attach to who we are. She highlights the importance of self-respect and self-compassion.

How has Jules' perspective on negative comments changed?

Jules used to be deeply affected by negative comments but has since learned from Steve and Lucy that negative things happen to everyone and don’t define a person. Now, Jules feels better equipped to handle such comments.

What does Lucy mean by 'unchecked high self-esteem' and why is it a concern?

Lucy mentions that unchecked high self-esteem can be problematic because it can lead people to believe they are better than others. Instead, she advocates for self-compassion, allowing for a balanced view of oneself, even in the face of failures.

What is Jules' approach to negative social media comments?

Jules' solution to passive-aggressive social media comments is to send love to those people and stay confident in their ability to handle negativity.

How does the selective nature of social media affect people’s self-esteem, according to the script?

The script suggests that social media often presents a curated, unrealistic view of others' lives, which can make people feel excluded or inadequate when comparing themselves to what they see online.

What does Jules mean by saying 'I am enough'?

Jules has come to understand, through the guidance of Steve and Lucy, that who they are is enough, and they no longer need to rely on external validation or be defined by negative experiences.

Outlines

00:00

✍️ Jules' Introduction and Interests

Jules, a 17-year-old blogger, introduces themselves, sharing their love for running, blogging, and spending time with their best friend, Marcus. They discuss how they used to be bullied but now focus on writing about topics like body image and self-esteem. Jules highlights the contributions of Steve Lester, a clinical psychologist, who shares insights on the complexities of self-esteem, emphasizing that it involves beliefs about ourselves and how we perceive our value in the world. Steve explains that self-esteem evolves over time and impacts how we handle life’s challenges.

05:09

💪 The Importance of Balanced Self-Esteem

This section explores how high self-esteem, while encouraged in Western cultures, can sometimes lead to overconfidence or arrogance. Instead, Jules and their contributors stress the importance of self-compassion—being kind to yourself, especially when facing setbacks. The narrative also touches on the impact of social media, where people may feel isolated or inferior while observing the curated lives of others. By understanding that social media only shows selective content, Jules underscores the need for a realistic view of life and encourages readers to confront their own negative self-beliefs.

10:15

📸 Social Media and Fitness Obsession

This paragraph reflects on the pressure from social media to present a perfect image, especially regarding fitness and appearance. Jules mentions how achieving the 'right' photo takes time, revealing the performative nature of social media. Hashtags like #fitzbo and #cardioaddict highlight the obsession with fitness and self-presentation. Despite the polished results seen online, Jules suggests that the reality behind these images is often far from perfect, pointing out the artificiality of social media interactions.

Keywords

💡Self-esteem

Self-esteem refers to a person’s overall sense of their value or worth. In the video, self-esteem is central to the discussion, with different contributors, like Steve and Lucy, explaining its impact on how individuals perceive themselves. For example, Steve emphasizes that self-esteem involves our beliefs about ourselves and how we think we are perceived by others. The concept is used to explore how Jules and others cope with negative comments or experiences.

💡Body image

Body image is how a person sees their physical appearance, which can affect their self-esteem. Jules mentions being into writing about body image, which ties into broader themes of self-esteem and societal pressures. This concept highlights the connection between physical appearance and how individuals value themselves, especially in a world influenced by social media.

💡Social media

Social media plays a significant role in shaping self-esteem in the video. Jules mentions how passive-aggressive comments on social media can negatively impact one's self-worth. Lucy and others also discuss how the selective sharing of moments on platforms creates unrealistic views of others' lives, which can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

💡Negative self-talk

Negative self-talk refers to the internal dialogue where individuals criticize or doubt themselves. In the video, negative self-talk is linked to low self-esteem and anxiety. Steve explains how this can have a significant impact on one's life, and overcoming it is part of building positive self-esteem.

💡Positive self-esteem

Positive self-esteem is the ability to have a healthy view of oneself and one’s abilities, without being overly critical or arrogant. Jules mentions that her self-esteem has improved over time, allowing her to handle negative comments. Steve emphasizes that positive self-esteem is not about constant happiness but about believing in one's ability to cope with challenges.

💡Confidence

Confidence refers to a person's belief in their abilities or worth. In the video, confidence is seen as a double-edged sword—while it's important for self-esteem, unchecked confidence can lead to arrogance. Lucy warns against the emphasis on always having high self-esteem and how overconfidence can create problems.

💡Compassion

Compassion in the video is highlighted as a key part of healthy self-esteem. It involves being kind and understanding toward oneself, especially in times of failure or adversity. Lucy explains that having compassion for oneself helps maintain a balanced and healthy self-view, even when things don't go as planned.

💡Bullying

Bullying is mentioned in the context of Jules’ personal experience. Jules shares that she used to get bullied but has since gained confidence and self-worth, largely through her work on the blog and support from others. This highlights the harmful effects of bullying on self-esteem and the importance of overcoming negative experiences.

💡Peer perception

Peer perception refers to how individuals believe they are seen by their friends, family, and community. Steve talks about this in relation to self-esteem, explaining how our image of ourselves is influenced by the people around us. This is important for understanding why Jules and others place value on their social interactions and the feedback they receive.

💡Adversity

Adversity in the video refers to challenges or setbacks that people face, which can impact their self-esteem. Jules and other contributors discuss how overcoming adversity is a critical part of building strong self-esteem. Steve and Lucy emphasize that self-esteem helps people navigate difficulties without losing belief in themselves.

Highlights

Jules introduces herself as a 17-year-old who enjoys running, writing, eating hot chips, and spending time with her best friend Marcus.

Jules mentions that she used to be bullied but has since found empowerment through her blog and focuses on body image and self-esteem.

Steve Lester, a clinical psychologist, contributes insights on self-esteem, describing it as a belief about oneself and one's self-image within the world.

Steve discusses how self-esteem is linked to how we perceive ourselves and how we think we are perceived by others.

Jules reflects on the value of self-worth and asks her readers if they've considered their own worth recently.

Jules emphasizes that passive-aggressive comments on social media don't affect her anymore, as she chooses to send love in response.

Steve highlights that positive self-esteem is not just about happiness, but about feeling capable of handling challenges and thriving.

Lucy Thomas from Project Rocket contributes, discussing self-esteem as one's general attitude towards themselves and the value they place on who they are.

Jules shares that negative comments used to bring her down, but now, thanks to Steve and Lucy's guidance, she doesn't let them define her.

Lucy helps Jules realize that she is enough as she is, and Jules is learning to understand and accept this.

Lucy warns against unchecked high self-esteem, which can lead to arrogance or thinking one is better than others.

Lucy emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, especially when facing failures or flaws.

Jules reflects on how consuming social media content can make people feel disconnected, as they only see curated parts of others' lives.

Negative self-esteem, according to Steve, is linked to low self-belief and negative self-talk, which can impact various aspects of life.

Jules concludes by acknowledging that it’s okay to feel anxious or scared but encourages trying new things and staying open to experiences.

Transcripts

[Music]

hmm

[Music]

so

my name's jules i'm 17 and this is my

blog

i guess the things i like most are

running writing this blog

hot chips and hanging out with my best

mate marcus

that's him marcus

i blog heaps on tumblr i used to get

bullied a bit but things have changed

right now i'm into writing about body

image self-esteem

that kind of thing i'm lucky enough to

have a couple of regular contributors

this is steve lester he's a clinical

psychologist from headspace

it's really great to be able to share

steve's thoughts about self-esteem

defining self-esteem can be a little bit

of a tricky one because it's

obviously very different for everyone i

suppose when i think about self-esteem

it's got to do with our beliefs about

ourselves

as well as our self-image so what we are

like and who we think we are

within the world around us and i guess

an example of that is

is almost how do we think we're

perceived by our friends

um and our and our communities and

families so

self-esteem in a nutshell is a lot to do

with

our belief and our image about ourself

and that grows over time and it can

change over time as well

[Music]

steve's thoughts are really great they

help me think about the value i place on

myself

what about you have you asked yourself

today what you're worth

passive aggressive comments on social

media really suck

but my solution is to just send those

people some love

i can handle it one of the important

things about positive self-esteem

it's not just about being happy

it's more about our belief to think

can i cope with what's around me and can

i thrive

so when i think about my own self-esteem

for instance

it's not about whether i'm happy or not

but my self-esteem has a lot to do

with preparing me to think am i going to

be able to handle this

lucy thomas from project rocket is

another contributor to this tumbler

i think that self-esteem is a really

interesting construct because

people conceive of it in all different

ways you know some people think that

it's about

the amount that you like yourself some

people think it's amount that you

respect yourself

but the way i see it is like your

general attitude towards yourself you

know so

how much do you think you're worth as a

person and i'm not talking about dollars

and cents i mean

how like what kind of value do you

attach to who you are

last year a negative comment on my blog

would have had me totally down

but steve and lucy were awesome teaching

me that negative things happen to

everyone

but they don't define us so why let them

get me down

lucy made me realize that who i am is

enough

i am enough i'm getting better at

understanding that

[Music]

so

but there is also tends to be this

emphasis on getting really high

self-esteem

you know in the countries we live in in

the western world australia the united

states the uk new zealand

we tend to focus on the importance of

being really confident and really out

there

fitness don't wait for no one

hashtag exercise

hashtag fitzbo

hashtag fitness addict

[Music]

i think unchecked high self-esteem can

be a problem because it can lead people

to think

that they're better than others or more

important than others but i think what

we're talking about here is having

compassion towards yourself so that

when you do trip up when you fail when

you know there's something about you

that

is flawed you can be understanding and

have a healthy view of yourself in the

face of that kind of

that adversity

[Music]

nella we were best friends when we were

little and now look at you

i think you're awesome nella want to

hang again sometime

no

remember how much fun we always had

[Music]

to be honest i think we all have times

where we spend

you know a lot more of our day looking

at photos online

instead of posting them or looking at

what people are doing

and that kind of idea that you're

watching the world can mean that you're

really

separate from it it can mean that you

feel like you're not part of it and

instead you're witnessing all of these

other people having amazing times doing

amazing things and you're sitting there

thinking like what about me you know

where do i fit

the reality is when we access the world

through our device we're not seeing a

realistic

view of the world we're seeing the parts

that people are choosing for us to see

busy obsessing

negative self-esteem has a lot to do

with low

self-belief negative self-talk and

having negative self-esteem i think can

um have a big impact on a range of

aspects of life and it's

okay to feel anxious and scared at times

being open is still

putting that foot forward and trying new

things

all right jules you win

[Music]

at katie so sweet

[Music]

but that pick took ages to get right

[Music]

hmm

[Music]

hashtag workout complete

so fit cardio addict

[Music]

you