The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

Reviving the Branden/Edelstein Self-Esteem Debate: Wes and I are joined by Dr. Michael R. Edelstein, an outspoken long-time critic of the concept of self-esteem and self-esteem movements in psychology. One of our goals for this conversation is to persuade Dr. Edelstein to revise or perhaps even remove criticisms of Nathaniel Branden's work from his otherwise valid critique of the self-esteem movement. Important Background Links: 1) The Trouble With Self-Esteem, by Michael R. Edelstein - http://genteman.org/edelstein.html 2) What Self-Esteem Is and Is Not, by Nathaniel Branden - http://www.nathanielbranden.com/what-self-esteem-is-and-is-not An interesting exchange from a Q&A at the Capitalism and Morality Conference - https://youtu.be/pMHFGfVnZQ0?t=45m10s 3) The Edelstein/Branden Email Exchange 2000-2001 - http://genteman.org/self.esteem.html 4) Q&A From Michael Edelstein's Talk, "Why Ayn Rand's Self Esteem ...

Wes Bertrand and I discuss facets of healing trauma and activating 7th pillar true-self motivation. This is the fourth part in our rebooted series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. This extension to the original series focuses on Branden's concluding chapter and what he calls the "seventh pillar." We will be reviewing each of the six pillars; the previous discussions focused on the what and the why of those practices, and this time we turn our attention to the how. INTRO MONTAGE: The 1989 film Parenthood is a humorous but touching look across three generations of a family system. The film's protagonist (Gil, played by Steven Martin), despite not having the reparenting/self-integration vocabulary, is determined to learn ...

Wes Bertrand and I reboot our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. This extension to the original series focuses on Branden's concluding chapter and what he calls the "seventh pillar." We will be reviewing each of the six pillars; the previous discussions focused on the what and the why of those practices, and this time we turn our attention to the how. INTRO MONTAGE: Domination systems scale up. From the home... to the schools... to the military and the police... to the state. DISCUSSION: - The main hurdles: (in embracing and working towards a better concept of self) - Systems of domination (abusive and neglectful parenting, schooling, religion, and government), which sacrifice needs and induce trauma ...

Wes Bertrand and I reboot our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. This extension to the original series focuses on Branden's concluding chapter and what he calls the "seventh pillar." We will be reviewing each of the six pillars; the previous discussions focused on the what and the why of those practices, and this time we turn our attention to the how. INTRO MONTAGE: Collectivism pulls us away from pursuits of self-knowledge, self-assertiveness and self-actualization, away from becoming who we are. The easiest forms of collectivism to carelessly embrace are tribalism and racism. Pseudo-self-esteem is often the result of such embrace. This montage is a 2016 update on Rand's thoughts on racism, Branden's 1971 warnings about ...

Wes Bertrand and I reboot our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. This extension to the original series focuses on Branden's concluding chapter and what he calls the "seventh pillar." We will be reviewing each of the six pillars; the previous discussions focused on the what and the why of those practices, and this time we turn our attention to the how. INTRO MONTAGE: In these conversations, we will integrate some of the lessons from our 2015 series on trauma and Internal Family Systems (Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience) with Branden's concept of the disowned self. The 2014 film Birdman provides a fine example. DISCUSSION: - Turning the Six Pillars into habit - An explanation of ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today we continue to move through the second part of the book. "Regardless of what we think we are teaching, we teach what we are." Discussed: -Branden: "For many children, school represents a second chance." says a lot about the home -There are so many great and caring teachers I had my first when I was in college -We are repeated sold this idea of the power of a good teacher and we chase it -the destructive leverage of the power-over system) -the impact of even one bad teacher can "extinguish the fire" -teachers' embrace of self esteem -but do they by in large ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today we move into the second part of the book. "Regardless of what we think we are teaching, we teach what we are." Discussed: -everything going on inside me is weird and alien to the rest of the world -we have this natural desire to be seen, heard, understood -what would happen if we extended the courtesy we have for adults to children -Understanding the need or the fear behind scolding? -When we convey love, appreciation, acceptance, respect and empathy we make the child visible -When we convey Indifference, ridicule, condemnation and scorn drive child into "lonely underground of invisibility" -Inappropriate Praise -evaluative praise ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes a discussion based on the sixth pillar, the Practice of Living With Integrity. Do your ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs and behavior line up? Do most people know what their ideals, convictions, standards and beliefs are? The root of self-esteem is not in accomplishment or output, but in our practices. However in school, we are only our output. WORDS AND BEHAVIORS MATCH “Integrity is the integration of ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs—and behavior. When our behavior is congruent with our professed values, when ideals and practice match, we have integrity. If they don't, we lose face in out own eyes." SUPERIORS AND AUTHORITY ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes a discussion based on the fifth pillar, the Practice of Living Purposefully. THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM 1. The Practice of Living Consciously 2. The Practice of Self-Acceptance 3. The Practice of Self-Responsibility 4. The Practice of Self-Assertiveness 5. The Practice of Living Purposefully 6. The Practice of Personal Integrity Questions to answer in this series: what is self-esteem? why is it important? what can we do to raise self-esteem? what role do others play in our self-esteem? The steps we'll try to follow for each pillar: -identify and define -what are the obstacles -personal stories, struggles -how to overcome them ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes a discussion based on the fourth pillar, the Practice of Self-Assertiveness. LIVING CONSCIOUSLY and asking in every applicable situation: Am I being authentic or not? Assertion of consciousness, see, think, be aware, outward and inward -ask questions -challenge authority -think for oneself SELF-ASSERTIVENESS isn't tested by what we are against, but by what we are for COMMITMENT: to my right to exist CONVICTION: my ideas and wants are important CONCLUSION: no one is coming, we are all responsible for our own existences all relate to COURAGE: When we were young: we were taught that what we think and want are not ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes a discussion based on the third pillar, the Practice of Self-Responsibility. Reacting vs. Responding “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor E. Frankl -live consciously : within ourselves and observing and identifying WHAT EXISTS our surroundings -self-acceptance : a non-adversarial relationship with reality THE PRACTICE OF SELF-RESPONSIBILITY “I am responsible for my choices and actions. To be ‘responsible’ in this context means responsible not as the recipient of moral blame or guilt, but responsible as the chief causal agent in ...

Wes Bertrand and I continue our series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes a discussion based on the second pillar, the Practice of Self-Acceptance. THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM 1. The Practice of Living Consciously 2. The Practice of Self-Acceptance 3. The Practice of Self-Responsibility 4. The Practice of Self-Assertiveness 5. The Practice of Living Purposefully 6. The Practice of Personal Integrity Questions to answer in this series: what is self-esteem? why is it important? what can we do to raise self-esteem? what role do others play in our self-esteem? The steps we'll try to follow for each pillar: -identify and define -what are the obstacles -personal stories, struggles -how to overcome them Bumper ...

Wes Bertrand and I begin a series based on Nathaniel Branden's book, Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. Today's show includes an introductory discussion and also covers the Practice of Living Consciously. THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM 1. The Practice of Living Consciously 2. The Practice of Self-Acceptance 3. The Practice of Self-Responsibility 4. The Practice of Self-Assertiveness 5. The Practice of Living Purposefully 6. The Practice of Personal Integrity Questions to answer in this series: what is self-esteem? why is it important? what can we do to raise self-esteem? what role do others play in our self-esteem? The steps we'll try to follow for each pillar: -identify and define -what are the obstacles -personal stories, struggles -how to overcome them Bumper ...