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Self-Esteem
Ann Bendall, Nambour, Australia
To cater to the simplistic way in which individuals explore the complexity of human nature, psychology has coined the concept 'self esteem' to represent what The Urantia Book refers to as conscience and its admonitions by the Thought Adjuster, self worth, and selfhood.
There is a general public awareness that self esteem is important and the construct has come to represent the individual feeling good about him/herself. In psychological parlance, self esteem means the degree to which one values oneself according to realistic values and beliefs, and includes conscience, compassion for ourselves and others, recognition that we are experiential beings who predominantly learn from our mistakes, and tolerance for the imperfection of ourselves and others.
Hence, although the word esteem carries the connotation of high worth or value, the combined form self-esteem, refers to the full dimension, and so the degree of self-esteem (high or low) is usually specified, and can be contrasted with self-appraisal where the evaluative component is absent.
The higher the self-esteem the more the person can self actualise and grow as a result of their experiences, accepting their own uniqueness whilst respecting the uniqueness of others.
In contrast, the word has a totally different meaning ascribed to it by the revelators. Self esteem is used only twice in the Urantia Book, in each instance in describing traits of the apostle John. "John Zebedee had many lovely traits of character, but one which was not so lovely was his inordinate but usually well-concealed conceit. His long association with Jesus made many and great changes in his character. This conceit was greatly lessened, but after growing old and becoming more or less childish, this self-esteem reappeared to a certain extent, so that, when engaged in directing Nathan in the writing of the Gospel which now bears his name, the aged apostle did not hesitate repeatedly to refer to himself as the 'disciple whom Jesus loved.'" (1554)
In the second instance on page 1555, it is reflected to represent the undesirable characteristics of being, "bigoted and inordinately intolerant. .... But he (John) was not the only one of the twelve who was tainted with this kind of self-esteem and superiority consciousness." That which we prize as high self-esteem, The Urantia Book regards as a concept consisting of conceit, bigotry and intolerance:
"The soil essential for religious growth presupposes a progressive life of self-realization, the co-ordination of natural propensities, the exercise of curiosity and the enjoyment of reasonable adventure, the experiencing of feelings of satisfaction, the functioning of the fear stimulus of attention and awareness, the wonder-lure, and a normal consciousness of smallness, humility. Growth is also predicated on the discovery of selfhood accompanied by self-criticism-- conscience, for conscience is really the criticism of oneself by one's own value-habits, personal ideals." (1094)
"The marks of human response to the religious impulse embrace the qualities of nobility and grandeur. The sincere religionist is conscious of universe citizenship and is aware of making contact with sources of superhuman power. He is thrilled and energized with the assurance of belonging to a superior and ennobled fellowship of the sons of God. The consciousness of self-worth has become augmented by the stimulus of the quest for the highest universe objectives--supreme goals." (1100)
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