I was asked this question today by another site. Can you be happy and have low self esteem at?

I guess it would depend on someones definition of happiness.

Someone with low self esteem may not believe he is worthy of happiness, but every man has access to it, it is found within.

Thoreau had a beautiful quote about happiness: 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.

Some feel it is attained through wealth and material things, but we know there is no happiness in a 'thing'. Maybe if the person with low self esteem reaches out to help someone or to smile at the world, his self esteem will begin to grow. Everyone has something to give, even if a smile or a friendly glance is all that they can give at the URL1 may give hope to someone who is very sad at that moment who feels the world is hopeless.

I answer this question with some other ones.

Nathaniel Branden, who has done much of the work on self esteem, defines it as below.

Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and of being worthy of happiness. It consists of two components: 1) self-efficacy—confidence in our ability to think, learn, choose, and make appropriate decisions; and 2) self-respect—confidence in our right to be happy; and in the belief that achievement, success, friendship, respect, love and fulfillment are appropriate to us".

As you can see, part of his definition is the right to be happy. So, at the very least the two, (self esteem and happiness) overlap and are related.

However, theory is one thing and practice is another. Probably better to work on self esteem (it's a learnable skill), and notice what else happens!

No-your self esteem is how you feel about you-happiness is in part liking yourself. So, if you want to be happy-you have to do a few things to build self esteem.

I promise you can find happiness-promise....

Sure, someone with low self-esteem can be happy . . .

If he/she is isolated and doesn't have to interact with others who make them feel inferior.

If happiness is experienced as moments of time in which a person feels generally elated and up beat then everyone experiences those, even those with low self esteem will be able to feel happiness in the form of moments. Some may not, but most will.

If happiness is considered to be a general state of permanent being then a person with low self esteem might find that they sabotage themselves from ever reaching that desired state of being.

I guess it all depends on your definition and expectation of happiness. Varies per person.

Low self esteem can be a trait or a emotional state of mind. Happiness is an emotional state resulting from thoughts both conscious and subconscious, external events like your child's dance program, or internal sensations where you just don't know why are you feeling happen. You can feel happiness and complete forget about your low self esteem.

Low self esteem affects how you lead your life but cannot erase the smile on your face when watching "Amazing Pets Videos.

Well, you have some diverse responses but I agree with you, Madison22. As someone who has slowly accumulated fragments of self esteem over more than 50 years, I can say that partial or temporary "happiness" is probable. But Full Happiness?

Only if you live in a daydream, which certainly happens. It took time and focused effort to understand where my "self unsteem" came from. And knowing it doesn't automatically make it go away.

I say stick with the people you trust, the people who help you out. That's the direction to follow. Read, think, and get professional help -- keep looking till you find the therapist you click with.

It's impossible. Happiness comes from within and how you feel about yourself.

Not really, because having low self esteem means that you are hard on yourself and don't allow mistakes or 'imperfections'. My tip is to allow yourself to not be perfect, and accept you as you are whatever that may be and love yourself.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.