7 Traits That Signal You Have Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem is something no one should ever have to deal with. Not only can it prohibit you from enjoying life in all its glory, but it can also infringe on your mental health and lead to problems like depression and anxiety, according to specialists.

Since many people struggle with this, we at Bright Side made an article about some signs that indicate you suffer from low self-esteem so that you can be more aware of it.

1. You don’t accept compliments.

Modesty is indeed a good thing, however, it’s all about having the right amount of it. If you act too modestly, it may mean that you don’t believe in yourself enough. Try to distinguish when being humble is more appropriate vs times you should accept that you did a great job at something.

Additionally, new research has shown that pride has an evolutionary meaning, and our ancestors needed their fellow band members to value them enough during bad times to pull them through.

2. You consider yourself to be an ordinary person.

The typical behavior of a person who doesn’t value themselves enough is not believing they’re worth a lot. Such a person thinks they’re not capable of much, and would rather think doing an excellent job at something is because it was easy, even if they really nailed it.

3. You think others notice only your flaws and judge you.

A person with low self-esteem treats themselves with great criticism and often projects this inner critic as a real one from others. They tend to think that others only see their bad side and laugh at them, even though this may have absolutely no connection with reality.

4. You always refer to other opinions.

A sure sign that you don’t believe in yourself is the fear to express your own opinion. It’s easier to refer to the opinions of others who are, in your view, more authoritative people because you consider them more worthy than you.

5. You never “spoil” yourself.

People who don’t value themselves enough rarely do something purely for pleasure. They’d rather think of a million reasons not to do something they really want to do, even if it’d make them feel a bit happier. However, a great way to fight low self-esteem is to do things you really enjoy.

6. You compare yourself to others, thinking they’re better.

If you can’t go a minute without thinking that someone could do something better than you, your self-esteem definitely needs to be worked on. Psychologists suggest to stop comparing yourself with others — not only are these comparisons destructive, but they’re also based on false assumptions.

7. You never try new things because you’re afraid of failing.

A person with low self-esteem has a very big fear of failure, which is why they prefer to follow proven paths rather than try something new. Such people are very sensitive and failure that seems to be absolutely harmless lowers their self-confidence even more.

What do you think points to low self-esteem?