The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

by Nathaniel Branden

Consider the impact on our life and on our sense of self entailed by the following options: Focusing versus nonfocusing. Thinking versus nonthinking. Awareness versus unawareness. Clarity versus obscurity or vagueness. Respect for reality versus avoidance of reality. Respect for facts versus indifference to facts. Respect for truth versus rejection of truth. Perseverance in the effort to understand versus abandonment of the effort. Loyalty in action to our professed convictions versus disloyalty—the issue of integrity. Honesty with self versus dishonesty. Self-confrontation versus self-avoidance. Receptivity to new knowledge versus closed-mindedness. Willingness to see and correct errors versus perseverance in error. Concern with congruence (consistency) versus disregard of contradictions. Reason versus irrationalism; respect for logic, consistency, coherence, and evidence versus disregard or defiance of these. Loyalty to the responsibility of consciousness versus betrayal of that responsibility. If one wishes to understand what self-esteem depends on, this list is a good place to begin.