Self‐Compassion Versus Global Self‐Esteem: Two Different Ways of Relating to Oneself

TLDR

Self‑compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, recognizing shared humanity, and practicing mindful awareness of negative self‑views. The study examined how self‑compassion and self‑esteem relate to psychological functioning. The authors conducted two studies—Study 1 with 2,187 participants comparing self‑compassion and self‑esteem on ego‑focused reactivity, and Study 2 with 165 participants comparing the two constructs on positive mood states. Self‑compassion was linked to more stable self‑worth, weaker social comparison, less rumination, anger, and need for closure, and was not associated with narcissism, whereas self‑esteem was; both constructs equally predicted happiness, optimism, and positive affect, indicating self‑compassion may serve as a healthy alternative to global self‑esteem.

Abstract

This research examined self-compassion and self-esteem as they relate to various aspects of psychological functioning. Self-compassion entails treating oneself with kindness, recognizing one's shared humanity, and being mindful when considering negative aspects of oneself. Study 1 (N=2,187) compared self-compassion and global self-esteem as they relate to ego-focused reactivity. It was found that self-compassion predicted more stable feelings of self-worth than self-esteem and was less contingent on particular outcomes. Self-compassion also had a stronger negative association with social comparison, public self-consciousness, self-rumination, anger, and need for cognitive closure. Self-esteem (but not self-compassion) was positively associated with narcissism. Study 2 (N=165) compared global self-esteem and self-compassion with regard to positive mood states. It was found that the two constructs were statistically equivalent predictors of happiness, optimism, and positive affect. Results from these two studies suggest that self-compassion may be a useful alternative to global self-esteem when considering what constitutes a healthy self-stance.