Self-esteem is a determining factor in people’s ability to overcome the various adversities they face throughout their lives. A well established self-esteem will prevent the subject from having a poor perception of himself, and let the problems overcome him.

Although this is a positive circumstance, there are people with highly inflated self-esteem who harm themselves due to the exaggerated perception they have of themselves. In this article we will see what are the characteristic features of these people with an excess of self-esteem and ideas of grandiosity linked to their self-concept.

What is self-esteem?

Self-esteem can be defined as a person’s appreciation or consideration of himself or herself, and is a personality characteristic that begins to be established from childhood. Its development will depend greatly on the parenting styles the child receives from the parents or caregivers.

People with too much self-esteem were usually subjected to dysfunctional parenting styles , suffering from this circumstance in the following stages of evolutionary development. For example, when we have parents who are too permissive and complacent, the tendency can lead us to develop an excess of self-esteem, believing that we have the power to make others obey us.

If, on the other hand, we have parents who restrict the children’s own initiative, the tendency is towards low self-esteem. This will also end up harming various aspects of their lives (personal, family, academic, work).

How does excessive self-esteem affect you?

Exacerbated self-esteem often has a number of negative consequences for the subject, but he or she usually does not realize that this is the case. It is the same excess of self-esteem that prevents the person from seeing that he is making mistakes and that he must correct certain aspects of his life.

In cases where there is a too large self-image, it is difficult for the subject to relate adequately to his peer group, no matter what the environment. There will always be a social limitation, among other things because criticism is not well tolerated.

Another way in which people are affected by excessive self-esteem is the low capacity for self-reflection presented by people with inflated self-esteem; it is very difficult for them to reach an honest understanding of who they are and what their true capabilities are.

These subjects constantly remain absorbed in a bubble of perfection concerning themselves; even when they are wrong they are reluctant to accept it , and prefer to engage in a sterile discussion rather than give their arm.

Now let’s look at some more specific ways in which excessive self-esteem affects people:

  • It limits their ability to analyze.
  • It affects their interpersonal relationships.
  • It favours the submission to exaggerated self-demands.
  • It creates unrealistic expectations.
  • It leads to frustration.
  • It generates a tendency to isolation.

People with inflated self-esteem: characteristics

In the following list we will review which are the main characteristics of people with too much self-esteem .

1. They think they can do it all

Subjects with over-inflated self-esteem have the idea that they are capable of meeting any challenge they are presented with, regardless of whether it is true or not. It is a superb attitude where does not take into account the preparation needed to carry out the activities .

2. They think they are never wrong

Another of the main characteristics of these subjects is that they think they are always absolutely right about everything they discuss , and they do not see as a possibility the possibility of being wrong at some point.

3. They do not foresee the risks

When there is an excess of self-esteem, there is also an inability to detect possible risks. This is because the person thinks that nothing can significantly affect him or her and that he or she has a solution for everything, when all he or she really does is expose himself or herself to unnecessary risks .

4. They feel very loved

This irrational sensation is due to the fact that subjects with an exaggerated self-esteem tend to extrapolate the perception they have of themselves to the rest of the people , in the sense that they think everyone else sees them as they see themselves.

5. They often talk too much

When we meet some people with excessive self-esteem, we can notice their tendency to talk a lot and they are not very willing to give prominence to other people to participate in the conversation. There is a tendency towards self-centeredness .

6. They do not take into account the capacities of others

The subject with too much self-esteem will hardly work in a group on a voluntary basis, as he thinks that no one is up to him to form a team by his side. These people prefer to work alone, no matter how much work it is.

7. They like to be praised

People with inflated self-esteem will always show weakness for those who praise them. When they meet a person who enjoys their stories and bragging (at least for a while) they feel their ego is satisfied, and this is evident in their body expressions.

8. They always want the best

These subjects always want the best things, the most elegant and usually expensive, to be able to wear them and enjoy them when others notice their presence thanks to the accessories they use.

Bibliographic references:

  • Horton, R. S.; Bleau, G.; Drwecki, B. (2006). Parenting Narcissus: What Are the Links Between Parenting and Narcissism? Journal of Personality. 74 (2): 345 – 376.
  • Marsh, H.W. (1990). Causal ordering of academic self-concept and academic achievement: A multiwave, longitudinal path analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. 82 (4): 646 – 656.