The conclusion by Baumeister in 1999, which was also reinforced by some further research in the following years, was that focusing on boosting of children’s and adults’ self-esteem was not something we should be spending time, money or other resources on doing. At best, the positive effects were miniscule, and at worst the result could be “high” self-esteem that then manifested itself in negative ways such as negative or unethical behavior.
