Self Esteem and Post Secrets - Essay Example

Post Secrets The notion that one picture can be worth more than 000 words is a clear proof that they can be used to communicate important messages to the audience. At times, one can opt to use pictures, but not written words, to express their feelings, opinion and ideas. In this paper, a critical study is done on 2 pictures. After analyzing them, they are related to the theme that is being communicated. The two pictures used are Picture One in which the boy writes, ‘I had cyst on my face that ruined 7th and 8th grade’ and Picture Three with writings, ‘I don’t want to go to college; I want to grow shit.’ These pictures are linked to the theme of self esteem which they depict in each of these individuals. Self esteem can be described as how one feels about themselves. Possessing little Regard for one can affect ones general life and even how they view the world (Mc Kay 53). Low self esteem can lead to depression and as a result fall short of their potential (Clarke 60). The belief people have about themselves often appeared to be statements of facts though they are actually only opinions (Schiraldi, 2007). Decision making also depends majorly on how much we value our self since it affects our thinking also becomes biased. Childhood and adolescent stages are always the most affected stages in individual’s life (Clarke 55). The rules of living enable one to function in the world as long as you go by them (Clarke 68). For instance, if you believe you are stupid, your rule of living will automatically be, better not” try”. Since failure is the only possible outcome and the other peers will make you a laughing stock. Therefore, because people live in a diversified society with lots of people, new things and challenges to meet, everyone has to set their own standards. Once this is done, one is able to measure their potential and strive to achieve the goals that bring self-fulfillment to them. The feeling of accomplishing one’s goals can make one to have self-esteem. Otherwise, one would be despaired. In the second picture, the adolescent had bump in right in the face, at a point that he had no way of stopping anyone from noticing it. Since not everyone gets to have this, it tended to draw unnecessary attention towards him giving him a feeling of discomfort. Consequently, his self esteem went down thus ruining his 7th and even 8th grade, creating long time of loneliness and mind destabilization (Fennell 91). The swelling made criticize himself, due to fear of judgment he might have avoided activities that involve other people like sports or even social events as he tends to constantly look for signs that people don’t like them and in turn blame himself even though he has no power in taking away the swelling. In the third picture, the writer has conflicts with the outside world. What he wants do in life is in contrast with the expectations laid down (McKay 77). He is expected to go to college and study for it is believed that it is the best way to secure him a good future. He on the other hand wants to do what interests him most which is agriculture. He tends to have confidence in his ability to take his interest to the next level. Growing to him is just as good as college education as they both can secure a good future. So, even if the society views college attendance as a path to success, this person sees it differently. In his perspective, he can realize success by simply engaging in agriculture. The writer in the 3rd picture can be described as a self confident person with high self esteem. He believes in himself and wants to do something that suits his potential. He speaks out what he wants and thinks about situations, what other people think or feel about them. Such people always think positively about themselves and challenges negative talks (Clarke 84). They don’t easily give in to external pressure and make informed decisions on their life (Fennell 27). They also never compare themselves with others but appreciate their special qualities reminding themselves of their good points every day (Schiraldi 117). To such individuals, success lies in the hands of the beholder and do not necessarily need to be influenced by other external forces. On the contrary, the 3rd picture depicts a person who feels he is in control of what should and should not happen in his life (Fennell 49). He seems to know what he wants which others can view as being rebellious (Clarke 50). This kind of personality can be attributed to one’s thoughts relationships and even experiences. At no one point does he tell us about his weaknesses or challenges faced in his life so far. In fact, he appears to be a confident person who boldly makes his own decisions as an individual. So, as a person, he has made a decision that in his opinion satisfies him and can give him the fulfillment that he rightfully deserves. He believes that his esteem would be boosted if he engages in agricultural activities rather than proceeding to the college to further his education. Self esteem is said to begin to form in early childhood and it is always influenced by several factors (Fennell, 2009). For example, how one feels about themselves, how people react to us, the culture or religion we associate with and even illness, injury or disability. Our relationships with those we live with also contribute to our level of self esteem (Fennell, 9). In other words, the surrounding society has a direct influence on the way people behave, believe and set their own expectations. This justifies why each of these pictures portray different people with diverse worldviews on the concept of self esteem. The picture also shows that the subject eventually got over the fear of having a spot on his face (Mc Kay 21). He began viewing it as an advantage rather than a hindrance, it can be noted that his negative mind set had made him hate himself denying him the chance of enjoying his two school grades (Schiraldi 16). It can be clearly seen that what one feels about themselves entirely lays with their mind set since the spot remind the same but the his view on it changed to the better. At the end of it all both pictures express the importance of regard for high self esteem and how much it affects individuals daily life. In conclusion, the second and third pictures can be linked to the theme of self esteem. The 2nd picture depicts a person who is feeling helpless at a particular stage in his life and is waiting for someone to rescue them. He uses self pity as a shield against fear of facing his problems an admitting to his inner self on the situation at hand. He feels other people are better just because they don’t have a problem identical to what they undergo during that particular time. After facing problems during his 7th and 8th grade, he realizes his mistakes and makes a decision to change the course of his life. On the other hand, the third picture presents an ambitious person who wants to achieve self fulfillment by not going to college to study, but by simply engaging in agricultural activities. These are decisions that, in the opinion of these individuals, can not bring any regrets, but self actualization. Works Cited Clarke, Jean I. Self-esteem, a Family Affair. Center City, Minn: Hazelden, 1998. Print., Jean I. Self-esteem, a Family Affair. Center City, Minn: Hazelden, 1998. Print. Fennell, Melanie J. V. Overcoming Low Self-Esteem: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques. Australia: Accessible Publishing Systems, 2009. Print Mckay, Matthew. Self-esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving and Maintaining. Unknown: New Harbinger Pbns, 2000. Print. Schiraldi, Glenn. 10 Simple Solutions for Building Self-Esteem: How to End Self-Doubt, Gain Confident& Create a Positive Self-Image. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2007. Internet resource. ce, Read More