The Debate over Self-Esteem and its Benefits

"Is high self-esteem beneficial?" is a classic question in psychology that has been debated for decades. The Rosenberg self-esteem scale is a widely used measure in psychology and economics that includes items like "I feel that I am a failure." Correlation is not causation, and recent research suggests that boosting self-esteem does not necessarily lead to more achievement. However, there is still evidence to suggest that self-esteem is beneficial for physical health, relationships, school, work, and mental health. The effect is small, but interventions to boost self-esteem may still be helpful for those at the very low end of the continuum.