http://www.more-selfesteem.com/affirmations.htm : This is a nice website that you'll find yourself saying "aw that sounds nice" to. However there are no scientific facts to back up anything being said on this website. The books that are listed on the website are authored by people who are of no significant psychological importance, nor have their books made any groundbreaking pioneering in the field which they are writing about. Upon further research, Dr. Ingrid Schweiger listed at the bottom of the page is the only doctor listed. Usually there are more doctors that would back up such a concept, but only one is listed which seems a little skeptical.
http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/self-esteem.html : This is a really nice place to go to if you want to lose yourself within philosophical thoughts, and think about some "principles of being." I am not complete discrediting the impact that these have upon an individual's life, but I am saying that there is no research to back up anything being said here. Yet, how can a doctor/ scientist back up accurately philosophical context? You can't, but you can provide examples of how it is scientifically possible.
http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/ : Another website that offers really nice insights on living life, but emphasizes on some things that aren't necessarily true. This website claims that just by using powerful thinking techniques and watching self affirming visualizations that you can achieve anything that you want to. While it allows hope to spring within you, it simply is not true. Self affirming does not do all of those things in and of itself, while the website proclaims it to accomplish just that.
http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00000a.htm : Similar to the other websites, this website looks at how much potential you can unleash within you. However, this website goes even further to say that by saying, "I am getting slimmer" you will actually start to do so because saying positive things evokes such a positive mindset. The reason that this is false, but so emotionally appealing, is because the mindset is not everything in a situation made an example of. The mindset is one aspect of it, but the action is an entirely different route.
In opposition to this, here are some professionally experiments you SHOULD look at:
International Journal on Disability and Human Development // Self-Esteem as an Important Mind-Body Aspect : Though I can not find a URL that links to this particular experiment, it was published in pages 191-196 in this journal of June 2009. The study follows 43 patients who were given 20 sessions at a cost of 1,600 Euros each to attempt to improve quality of life. The patients issues were some type of old emotional pain (ie, childhood trauma) and tried therapy to help them improve their quality of life. Upon a self esteem boost, the patients found themselves improving in nearly all aspects of life including socially, emotionally, sexually, etc.
Human Development Vol. 52 (4) // The Role of Self-Compassion in Development : A Healthier Way to Relate to Oneself : This is a peer reviewed journal released in June 2009 that emphasizes on self compassion rather than self esteem. An interesting way to look upon the subject, the abstract brings up the case of having a self esteem that leads to narcissism as opposed to a healthy life style. From this article we can see an ambiguous meaning in what "self esteem" could really be defined as, or if it can have one set definition. This article proposes that self compassion is composed of three aspects; first being self kindness versus self judgment, the second as a sense of common humanity versus isolation, and the third being mindfulness versus over identification.
Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 77 (3) // Work and the Most Terrible Life :: This article does not have to apply directly to the topic at hand, but it is a nice example to use to show a differentiation. It is an analysis of a work describing a man who was positively motivated for all the wrong reasons yet fails to live a meaningful life. I am posting this article to show that you can be positively motivated and do all of the things that you wish to accomplish, but it will not necessarily bring about happiness or a heightened sense of self esteem.
Child Development : Myths and Misunderstandings : Published this year, author Jean Mercer attempts to debunk a variety of myths about child development. One of which blatantly states that high self esteem helps children perform better in school. While I do not own the book, this blog is dedicated to trying to figure out why it is (or could be) a myth through research, and not a few mere paragraphs of a book.
Sources Cited:
Perera, K. ( 2001). How can affirmations increase your self esteem? More Self Esteem. Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://www.more-selfesteem.com/affirmations.htm
Abundance-And-Happiness. (2005). Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/self-esteem.html
The Positive Mindset Website. (2007). Vital Affirmations For Your Life. Retrieved May 18, 2010 from http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/
Sasson, R. (2001). The Power of Affirmations. Success Conscience. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00000a.htm
Professional Materials:
Ventegodt, S., Kandel, I., & Menick, J. (2009). Self-esteem as an important mind-body aspect. International Journal on Disability and Human Development. 8(2), 191-196.
Neff, K. D. (2009). The role of self-compassion in development: A healthier way to relate to oneself. Human Development. 52(4), 211-214.
Michaelson, C. (2008). Work and the most terrible life. Journal of Business Ethics. 77(3), 335-345.
Mercer, J. (2010). Child development: Myths and misunderstandings. Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, Inc.
