self worth, is it worth it and what is it?

Friday, November 21, 2008

self worth, is it worth it and what is it?

Do you know what self worth means? I have somewhat of a vague idea of what it is but to truly give you a proper definition I am completely lost. I always took self worth to mean exactly what the two words stood for. Self- yourself and your view; worth- value….you put them together you have self value, how you value yourself, what you think of your self. It such a simple concept but so many have trouble identifying it in them, including myself. Last night a friend asked me about self worth and I was completely clueless; I did not know how to answer her. I always thought I had somewhat of an idea of my worth but I never defined it, not even to myself. I felt sort of foolish. I felt as if I was hit with the duh stick. Something so simple and yet I can’t properly define it for myself. What is my self worth? I don’t know. “I don’t know” is a horrible answer to things. She makes me realize that saying “I don’t know” means you are not trying to answer the question. It is almost as if you don’t care enough to attempt to answer it. I mean it is completely ok to not know something, but at least an attempted answer is good. So, back to self worth, let’s see what the dictionaries say.

Wiki-In psychology, self-esteem reflects a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of her or his own worth

Random site-
Self-worth is frequently based on our feelings of worth in terms of our skills, achievements, status, financial resources, or physical attributes. This kind of self-esteem or self-worth often cultivates an independent and arrogant attitude. When we find ourselves not measuring up to society’s criteria for worth, we suffer serious consequences. Our self-worth depreciates dramatically. The illusion of being successful and admired gives way to disillusionment as our possessions and achievements that once nourished our souls fail to satisfy our appetites. Every individual experiences basic needs -- hunger, thirst, fatigue, etc. We are conditioned to satisfy these needs by getting something -- food, drink, or rest. Mistakenly we conclude that by getting, we will achieve an acceptable self-worth/esteem.

Nothing depreciates self-worth faster than regret, anger, or fear. For four years, Kelly worked in sales. If she achieved her monthly quota and bonuses, her self-worth soared with her supervisor’s praise. Like a barometer, her self-worth plummeted as she received criticism during non-productive cycles.

One day Kelly marched into work, carrying a large box. One by one she placed pictures of her family and cards from friends as positive reminders. She renewed her self-worth by considering ways she could give something personal to each client or co-worker -- a word of encouragement, a sympathetic ear, or a prayer for their circumstances. “In the beginning, I felt like such a failure when not getting sales that I practiced self-depreciation. But after I dedicated myself to giving not getting, I had an unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. It was as if I was losing the ability to worry!”

There is a great example of this in the Bible. The apostle Paul “learned the secret of living in every situation” (Philippians 4:11-13). Self-esteem is an attitude of respect for and contentment with oneself based on the recognition of one’s abilities and acceptance of one’s limitations.

self-worth Definition
self-worth (self′wʉrt̸h′)
noun
one's worth as a person, as perceived by oneself


Based on the definitions above, I did have a pretty good clue of what it was- or at least its definition. However, do I live or have it. To an extent I think I do. I mean who doesn’t want to achieve things. I know I do. Yes society pressures you to do great and punishes you when you fail. I guess the main purpose of self worth is valuing oneself as an individual without the external. Successes or failures shouldn’t define who you are as a human being. It’s tough to acknowledge but it’s true. SO the big question at hand. WHO AM I AS A HUMAN BEING? As part of the human race, I know I have value as soon as I am conceived. But what else do I want for myself? Regardless of successes or failures, what makes me happy and makes me feel whole? I don’t know. I guess will have to find out together.