I know that this is a tad bit dark, but if someone approached me, confessing an uncomfortable bout of low self-esteem and asking for a quick and dirty boost to their self-esteem, I would advise that person to put someone else down. The unfortunate truth is that the easiest and most effective way to boost your own image is to lower someone else’s. Most of us learn this the moment we step foot on an elementary school playground. By the time we reach high school, we are quite skilled at both blatant and subtle putdowns.
