Self-esteem… You may not believe it, but it is this very word that is most often used by people who seek psychological help. This is not surprising – self-esteem has a big significance! The way we evaluate ourselves often holds the key to a harmonious and happy life. Otherwise, we will just stand in front of the locked door, scratching our heads.
Self-esteem is a person’s understanding of themselves, their positive and negative traits, and their attitude towards them.
Today, we will offer you a test to determine your level of self-esteem and, at the same time, the level of your aspirations (what, in your opinion, you can aspire to achieve).
On a sheet of paper, draw vertical lines designating your different traits: health, intellect, character, happiness, satisfaction with yourself, optimism, appearance (you can add other categories).
The top end of each line represents the state where, in your opinion, the happiest person would be. And the bottom end of the line represents the most miserable person. In other words, at the bottom, there are negative traits that you are trying to avoid. And at the top – the positive qualities that you are striving to gain.
Use a small dash (–) to indicate the place on each line where you are currently, in your opinion. Indicate with a small circle (o) the place on each line that you would like to have. Use a small cross (x) to indicate the place that you can realistically achieve, knowing your abilities.
Draw one line for each trait that you are trying to test. The height of each line should be 100 mm. Each millimeter represents one point.
Mark the top and the bottom ends of each line with a dash. Also, mark the middle of each line with a dot. Please see the above image as an example.
You must perform the test before you read how to interpret the results.
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Interpreting the results
The main parameters of self-esteem are its level, stability, and realism.
The test analyzes:
- the level of aspirations – from the lowest point of the scale to the “x” sign;
- the level of self-esteem – from the “o” to the “-” sign;
- the delta between the levels of aspirations and self-esteem.
Level of self-esteem (-)
- 50–75 (“medium” and “high” level) – realistic or adequate self-esteem.
- 75-100 – often indicates an overestimated self-esteem. This level may indicate an unwillingness to have new experiences, inability to admit mistakes, and insensitivity to comments and assessments of others.
- Below 50 – low self-esteem.
Try to analyze your assessment and understand why you put the mark exactly at this point on the scale.
Level of aspirations (x)
- 65–90 – a realistic level of aspirations, an optimal idea of your capabilities.
- 90–100 – unrealistic, uncritical attitude to one’s capabilities.
- The level of fewer than 60 points indicates an underestimation of aspiration, suggesting that the personality is not well-developed.
Normal actual self-esteem (-) should be just above the middle; the ideal indicator (o) is just below the upper end, and the assessment of one’s capabilities (x) is between these marks.
Self-esteem is considered too low if most of the actual self-esteem scores are below the middle mark. If this is your case, this indicates excessive criticism or excessive demands on yourself.
Now, look at the relationships between all the symbols.
The “x” symbols must be between the “o” and the “-” symbols. The distance between the x and the o is the interval of the unattainable – desired but unachievable. The “x” indicates what you can reach – everything above is “impossible”. Below the “x” and down to the actual self-esteem (-) is what is achievable.
The ratio between these two intervals (above and below x) determines your level of optimism. The greater the interval of the possible and the smaller the interval of the impossible, the higher the level of optimism.
The “circles” (o) should be slightly below the top end of the lines. If the “circle” is at the very top, this indicates an immature attitude towards values, because a mature person does not dream of being ideal. Excessively high actual self-esteem speaks of being unrealistic.
Uneven assessments, when the marks on different scales differ greatly from each other, can indicate emotional instability.
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