Can we really do without self-esteem? Comment on Crocker and Park (2004).
Because self-esteem plays a central role in managing anxiety and provides a superordinate goal that organizes much human behavior, the authors conclude that it would be extremely difficult and probably impossible for people to stop pursuing self-esteem. Although they agree that investment in others' welfare may circumvent some of the negative consequences of self-esteem pursuit, the authors argue that the self-esteem implications of other-oriented behavior will inevitably be a powerful motivating force. Finally, the authors propose that self-esteem derived from self-determined standards of value may reduce defensiveness, closed-mindedness, and indifference to others, as well as promote personal growth, but they acknowledge the daunting barriers to the attainment of such self-determined bases of self-worth.
Pyszczynski
Tom
T
Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. tpyszczy@brain.uccs.edu
Cox
Cathy
C
D000533:Altruism; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D004989:Ethics; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior