In addition, we will discuss how to help someone with low self-worth, as I believe this is necessary because we see people display some inferior behaviors and should know how to approach and help them out.
What Is Low Self-worth?
Before we look at what low self-worth means, allow me to point out that in the previous article, we defined self-worth simply as the recognition of one’s value or an individual evaluation of oneself.
Low self-worth is a type of self-worth that levels in the negative direction. It is like the number line where you have the neutral in the middle, the negative on the left, and the positive on the right. When you weigh your worth on the scale, and it levels down rather than up, then we can say that your worth is low because it is lower than 0 instead of greater.
In the same sense, we can view low self-worth as the recognition of one’s value below the acceptable standard. It is the evaluation of one’s self in the negative, synonymously with low self-esteem and low self-value.
If you look at yourself in the mirror and believe that other people are better than you and feel you cannot measure up to them, you could be living with a low self-worth.
Causes Of Low Self-worth
There are several different causes or reasons why people have a low view of themselves, and in most cases, I do not think they are intentional. Instead, I believe individuals with low self-worth are victims of circumstances and unpleasant life experiences.
To further my point, I will share with you four causes and reasons for low self-worth. All may not be the case for everyone, but one of these could be the case for many.
Negative Beliefs
Low self-worth does not mean you will not get a job or have an association; you will. The problem is that even with the job and association, you will view yourself as the least, inferior, and worthless. Why?
The reason is simple: the kind of things you believe about yourself. Beliefs are the core of reasoning, and most times, our views about life, past, present, and future, proceed from what we believe.
If you have a negative view of life and believe you are inferior, your self-worth will be on a low scale, not in the sense that it is supposed to be, but because you accept it that way.
Abuse
When looking up why people get to believe negative things about themselves, you can trace that to abusive living. That refers to repeated cruel and violent treatment given to people.
Take, for instance, a child growing up under a guardian who is rude or unfriendly; we can agree that that child would go through abuse. Chances are that they could take it as a challenge to become better people, but many times, the reverse is the case.
Abuses can come from different directions, including families, friends, and marriages, but generally, it comes from relationships. If you are a victim of abuse, it could affect the way you view yourself immensely.
Trauma
While abuse can lead to negative Beliefs about oneself and cause low self-worth, it can also connect to trauma.
In case you are wondering what trauma is, it is a deep emotional feeling of shock and pain from an experience. That experience could be a breakup or loss of loved ones.
Interestingly, this can change a lot about a person, and affecting their self-worth in the negative is often the case.
Poor Upbringing
Everyone has an upbringing, and parents are responsible even for irresponsibility on their path, but that is not the case. The problem is the impact of a poor upbringing on an individual.
Let us assume that you grew up in the village, got used to what people call low life, and then relocated to a city. You will see things from a very different perspective due to your background.
We have great people who have poor backgrounds and upbringings, but the fight for them is delicate. And the challenge is often seeing oneself from a low status compared to others. While that is not the case for everyone, it is a cause not to be ignored.
How To Fix Low Self-worth
Think about this saying by Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you inferior without your consent.”
If you read our previous article, where we discussed self-worth, I shared several ways to find and build your self-worth, including the following:
- Know yourself.
- Accept yourself.
- Be positive about yourself.
- Do Not Compare Yourself To Others.
- Take Good Care Of Yourself.
However, I want to share how to fix low self-worth by considering the different causes and reasons for people with low self-worth. I understand that, generally, the past is the case.
Many people allow their past lives and experiences to affect their present views of life and affect their views about themselves. Therefore, to fix low self-worth, you must learn from and let go of the past, live in the present, and hope for the best future offers. Additionally, consider the things listed above.
How To Help Someone With Low Self-worth
Marie Curie said, and I quote, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
To help someone struggling with low self-worth or relatively low self-esteem, you must understand that they are very critical of themselves. They believe in their views about themselves and would have to be convinced to do otherwise.
So, if you happen to be in a relationship with someone whom you believe exhibits signs of low self-worth, you can do the following:
- Listen and be kind to them.
- Address their problems by making them feel valued.
- Get them involved and help them out.
- Be encouraging and positive about them.
- Share this article and encourage them to do the five things listed above.
Finally, I will call it a day with this powerful quote by Vincent Van Gogh: “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
