Is high self-esteem crucial to human flourishing, or, rather, a hindrance?
“The biggest problem with self-esteem is that it tends to be contingent,” says Kristin Neff. “We only feel good about ourselves when we succeed.” Far too often, high self-esteem breeds narcissism, bullying, and prejudice.
Kristin is a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s also a prominent expert on the topic of self-compassion, which her research has found to be much more effective than self-esteem in helping people flourish. In this episode, she shares what makes self-compassion different from self-esteem, how to cultivate it, and how it can help us to flourish amidst stress, suffering, and everyday life. We also hear briefly from psychiatrist and author Curt Thompson illuminating the negative neurobiological effects of shame while Kristen explains how self compassion can remedy these effects.
Show Notes:
Similar episodes
Tara Brach: Radical Acceptance
Judith Moskowitz: How to Flourish Amidst Stress
Alfie Kohn: Why You Shouldn’t Punish–or Reward–Your Kids
Curt Thompson: The Soul of Shame
Resources mentioned this episode
Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
Fierce Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
Self-Compassion.org
Why Self-Compassion Works Better than Self-Esteem
PDF of Lee’s Interview Notes
Transcription Link
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