The Role of Personal Values in Building Self-Esteem

What are your personal values, and how do they affect your self-esteem? We all have different values that we live by. They can be honesty, generosity, kindness, happiness, loyalty, patience, etc. These values play a crucial role in building our lives. They help shape how we think and act with others. They also influence our emotions, making them essential in building self-esteem. In this article, we look at the relationship between personal values and self-esteem and how to use these values to build our self-worth and confidence.

What Are Personal Values?

We must first understand personal values better to understand the connection between personal values and self-esteem. Personal values are central beliefs or principles that you consider important. These beliefs provide a foundation for decision-making, helping you differentiate between bad and good according to you and society. 

Different things, including culture, upbringing, education, and life experiences, can shape personal values. 

The Role of Personal Values in Building Self-Esteem

Personal values play a crucial role in building self-esteem. They provide us with a sense of purpose, identity, and belonging, negatively or positively influencing how we interact with others and see ourselves. 

For example, someone who values honesty will feel proud of themselves when they tell the truth, even when it is extremely difficult. For them, telling the truth at all times is important; when they do this, they feel good about themselves and even view themselves as more worthy. 

On the other hand, when someone’s actions conflict with their personal values, they may see themselves as unworthy. In many cases, most of us tend to feel guilty and ashamed of ourselves when we engage in things we consider bad, like when we are disloyal to a partner or close friend. We feel so guilty and sometimes block out the outside world, negatively affecting our self-worth or image.

Self-esteem and personal values go hand in hand, and to build self-esteem, it is essential to identify your personal values and align your actions with those values. This helps you learn more about yourself and realize your worth, what you value, and the world around you. The process of identifying your personal values doesn’t have to be difficult. It starts with knowing what you want; what principles do you hold most dear? Reflect on your personal experiences, what brings you joy, and what kind of life you want to find your personal values.