Though the term “self-esteem” is used frequently enough, many of us may not be giving ours as much thought as we should.  Self-esteem has many definitions, but it is basically the value we put on ourselves as human beings:  The way we see ourselves, our achievements, our worth, and our merits and flaws.  Self esteem can be affected by many factors, both in and out of our control, and while it cannot be learned, there are things we can do to raise our opinion of ourselves and build our confidence.
One of the best ways to start may be to take a self-esteem test to get ourselves thinking about our own self-worth.  The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test is one of the best known tests of its kind used today and was developed by University of Maryland sociology professor Dr. Rosenberg from 1975 until his death in 1992.

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Test

The test is made up of ten questions.  Each question is answered based on how strongly you feel the answer is correct or not correct for yourself.  SA is for strongly agree, A is for agree, D is for disagree, SD is for strongly disagree.

The test is made up of ten questions. Each question is answered based on how strongly you feel the answer is correct or not correct for yourself. SA is for strongly agree, A is for agree, D is for disagree, SD is for strongly disagree.

1. I feel that I’m a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others. (SA A D SD)

2. I feel that I have a number of good qualities. (SA A D SD)

3. All in all, I am inclined to believe I am a failure. (SA A D SD)

4. I am able to do things as well as most other people. (SA A D SD)

5. I feel like I do not have much to be proud of. (SA A D SD)

6. I take a positive attitude towards myself. (SA A D SD)

7. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself. (SA A D SD)

8. I wish I could have more respect for myself. (SA A D SD)

9. I certainly feel useless at times. (SA A D SD)

10. At times, I think that I am no good at all. (SA A D SD)

To score the items, assign a value to each of the ten items as follows:

• For items 1,2,4,6,7: Strongly Agree=3, Agree=2, Disagree=1, and Strongly Disagree=0.
• For items 3,5,8,9,10: Strongly Agree=0, Agree=1, Disagree=2, and Strongly Disagree=3.

Improving Your Self-Esteem

Note that once you calculate your score, the test results do not break down into “healthy” and “unhealthy” levels for self-esteem or “good” and “bad.” There is no correct score to have, but a score below 15 does suggest low self-esteem and there are several things we can do to boost our self-image.

Possibly the most important thing to remember is that healthy self-esteem is not about perfection. Focusing on our strengths but accepting our weaknesses is important to having a positive self-image; so is using mistakes we make as tools to learn and improve.

Listening to our bodies (getting proper nutrition, exercise and sleep) as well as making time for the things we are good at and the people whose company we enjoy are all part of having a healthy self-opinion.

Readers looking for some tips on self-esteem building might find the following site helpful: www.selfesteem2go.com

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