The science of self-worth (and how to boost yours)
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From NPR. Hey short waivers, Regina Barber here. Do you feel like you have high self-esteem? Or do you think it's low? Or maybe you're like me and it just ping pongs between the two all the time?
Do you feel good about yourself or do you feel like you can't admit it if you don't? The paradox I would say of self-worth is that people that are truly worthy can admit when they don't feel worthy. Because again, they're all about just attuning to and expressing their internal world as it is.
Self-esteem is at the heart of Marissa Franco's new book, Worth. She's a psychologist, and recently she sat down with Mariel Sagata, host of NPR self-help podcast LifeKit. Hey Marielle. Hey. So how was that conversation with
Marissa? Yeah, it was really interesting. You know, I learned a lot about how researchers think about and study self-esteem. For instance, like what happens in the bodies of people with low self-esteem?
I mean, when I feel like I have low self-esteem, I definitely feel it in my body.
And actually, this one's kind of wild. If someone with low self-esteem experiences something that contradicts their view of themselves, like they get a compliment or an award. They can actually have a negative physical reaction to that misalignment. For instance, their their blood pressure will go up.
What is self‑esteem and why does it feel like a roller‑coaster?
Yeah. Makes complete sense to me. Yeah, I mean I found that really surprising. And the fact also that this can have a long term Affect like their body will continue to
react over time. There was one study where that looked at self-esteem when positive events happen to people. And it found that when people had low self-esteem and positive events happened to them, they got sicker months later. And when you say they got sicker, they had more doctors' appointments.
Yeah, this is I think for some people counterintuitive, but for me, I feel like maybe it makes kind of sense. Cause your reality is just I don't know, it's not fitting.
Mm-hmm.
It's unsettling. Yeah. It's completely unsettling. Yeah.
Well Marissa says this is related to something called self verification theory.
Which is this idea that We look for the world to verify our sense of self. And if it doesn't, it it influences our sense of coherence and control, right? And so that can undermine well being.
So today, my gift to you, Gina, and to all the listeners is a look at what science has to say about self-worth and why it works the way it does.
I am definitely here for it. Thank you for this gift. You're listening to Shorewave, the science podcast from NPR.
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This week on Up First we talk about the economy. Trucks, trains, and tractors run on diesel, which is now priced at record highs, with less than fifty days until the midterm elections. So the next six weeks are gonna be intense. Let Up First get you through it one morning at a time with three stories you need to know each day. Listen to Up First on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
If the creation of the universe was translated into music, what would it sound like? Ideas about how to make sense of the incomprehensible. Most of science in general is actually intuitable. That's on the Ted Radio Hour Podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
All right, Marielle, I'm excited to pass the baton and hear you and Marissa walk through this all.
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