#Self-Respect

Self-esteem is the stock exchange of the soul, where the share price of your self brand constantly fluctuates. You make a profession of reacting to the winds of external validation. The fortress you build in the name of self-affirmation collapses at the slightest critique. Gathering its shards is hailed as reinvestment in this futile game.

Self-esteem is the inner appraiser eager to overvalue the product called "me." Yet its assessment sways with the applause and words of others, like a weather vane in the wind. At times it serves as the armor of self-affirmation; at others, it becomes the spear of insecurity piercing the heart. Seeking praise while fearing criticism—this is the selfish emotion we collectively call self-esteem.