A Study Reveals the Age When We Feel the Most Confidence in Our Lives, and Why

When we’re teenagers, we often feel self-conscious, and we’re afraid to do the things we want to do, fearing others will think it’s embarrassing. As we’re waiting to grow up, maybe in our 20s, we finally feel the most confident we’ve ever been. However, a study that analyzed research articles that covered around 165,000 participants found that our 20s aren’t actually the age when our self-esteem is at its highest.

We at Bright Side were intrigued to find out at which age we had (or will have) the highest self-esteem. So let’s see what the study says about it!

Children’s self-esteem grows.

Self-esteem increases during the period from age 4 to 11, research has found. One possible reason for this is that children start feeling more and more independent during that span. And because they learn to do things on their own, this helps boost their self-confidence.

Teenagers’ self-esteem remains the same.

Some older studies found that self-esteem decreases in adolescence. It was thought to have something to do with it being a transitional period. Teenagers start going to middle school and experiencing emotional and physical changes that could affect their self-esteem. They might also start comparing themselves to others more often and feeling self-conscious.

However, present research suggests that, at ages 11 to 15, self-esteem levels don`t change. Moreover, at 15 years old, self-esteem begins to increase drastically.

Adults’ self-esteem increases.

Self-esteem continues to grow in adulthood too. During this period, we develop mature personality traits. This is because we assume new social roles that require us to be more responsible, conscientious, and emotionally stable. So when we are in a relationship, or have a job, or become parents — it makes us improve those mature traits. And that, in turn, improves our self-esteem.

Here’s when self-esteem reaches its peak:

At age 60 to 70, people reach their highest level of self-esteem. After that, however, it starts to slightly decline, and then it strongly decreases after age 90. This may have something to do with the fact that they lose their partners and their social roles. Unfortunately, that can cause depression, certain disorders, and harm their overall well-being.

Levels of self-esteem can vary.

There were no significant differences in self-esteem patterns across gender, ethnicity, or even generations. However, self-esteem can change both short-term and long-term, depending on what`s going on in our lives. Our success at work, our personal life, and other stressful events can affect our self-esteem. But in spite of those fluctuations, you can still see the same pattern described by the researchers.

Have you noticed the same pattern of how your self-esteem has changed in your life? When have you felt the most confident so far?