1. Divorce or separation-

A child who grew up in the right environment and
with the right kind of people giving him support and encouragement will
have a high self esteem. However, an incident like the divorce or
separation of his parents will most likely shatter the child's high image of
himself, and he could end up blaming himself for the separation. He will
then go into a vicious cycle of looking down on himself and of treating
others differently because of such an incident.

2. Physical attributes-

A child who is on the chubby side while growing up may be considered as cute

by his family and friends and so the frequent encouragement and praise will help

him develop high self esteem.However, as he grows older, his environment changes

and then he is exposed to the reality that society generally frowns on people who are on
the heavy side. This creates confusion and identity crisis which may lead to
self pity and the development of a low self image.

3. Rejection-

A child who grew up with supportive parents and siblings will most likely become an

adult with a high self esteem. However, constant exposure to critical people who insult

him and criticize him may create a dent in his high self image. His comfort zone is now

gone and there is a possibility that he will be rejected by other people who are not so

kind or who may have very high standards.

1. It can cause anxiety and depression.

A person with a low self esteem is always concerned about pleasing other people.

The more he tries to make other people happy, the more he becomes depressed

and unsure of himself. And when he becomes unsure of himself, he will take this as

a negative attribute, leading to a lesser self worth. It goes on and on until he
does not anymore have a clear view of himself as a person.

2. Result in a setback in a person's performance in school or his career goals.

A person who thinks less of himself will more likely have very low grades. If already

working, a person with low self esteem will experience some difficulty in his career as

he could not even perform his ordinary responsibilities well.

3. Create tension in a person's relationship with other people.

Because he looks down on himself too much, this person cannot maintain a healthy

relationship. He thinks he is lower than anybody and he is not worth loving.

Many people who have very low regard for themselves get into drugs because they look at

substance abuse as the only way to confirm their existence. Others become alcoholics, opting

to become intoxicated rather than confront the difficulty of facing one's self.