BreaWillis

Mrs.Thomas
UWRT1103034
October21,2015
Whilereflectingonmyfirstdraft,Iwasnttoopleasedwithitsdescriptive
narrative.Itseemedslightlytoopersonalandalittlemorbid.Idratherofferamore
positiveexperiencerelatedtoselfesteem,andsoIdid.Imnotoneforsharingmy
personalendeavorswithstrangersasIfinditincomprehensiblyuncomfortable,however,
Iunderstandthatsometimesthebestwritingsharestheinformationthatspersonaland
nottriteoroveraddressed.Throughmoreextensiveresearch,Ihopetoinitiatemoreof
aconversationthroughmythesis;somethingthatintriguestheaudiencetoinquiremore
aboutthecorrelationbetweenproductivityandselfesteemorthelackofit.Towardsthe
endofmyfirstdraft,IbegantoacquireanappreciationforlowselfesteemasIbeganto
believeitisthemotivationbehindsuccess.Ilikedthedirectionofthattheory,soI
decidedtopursueitinmyseconddraftasIfeelitgivescomforttoasubjectthatsnotso
comforting.ItsrefreshinganditsaviewIhaveyettoreadabout.
Furthermore,Imconsideringpersonifyinglowselfesteemtocomparetothatofa
motivationalfiguretonegateitscurrentconnotation.Throughpeerreview,Ididntget
asmuchfeedbackasIwashopingtoreceive,however,Ihavemadesomemonumental
changestotheorganizationandsetupofthisproposal.So,thispaperwillcontinueto
beaworkinprogressandIhopethatitwillaidindrivingthispapertobemore
compellingandinsightful.

HowDoesSelfEsteemAffectProductivity?:AnInquiryProposal
Severalweeksago,IparticipatedinaCopingwithLifeEventsstudytoearn
researchcreditformypsychologycourse.Thepurposeoftheresearchwastoinquire
aboutastudentsselfesteem,orlackthereof,andtheconnectionthroughchildhood
memorytotheirmothersselfimagetodrawapositivecorrelationbetweenthetwo.AsI
answeredeachquestion,Iimmediatelywasdrawntoapartofmypastinwhichconsisted
ofdeficienciesinselfesteem.
Asapreadolescent,thegreyareasofuncertaintysurelywerentmyfriends;
howevertheyinsistedonfollowingmearounduntiltheyweretheclosestadherentstomy
mentality.Iremembertheconstantreminders:Yourenotcompetentenoughor
YourenotsmartenoughorBebetterandworkharder.Itwasamercilesssymbiotic
relationshipwhereIeventuallyfoundcomfortintheinsecuritiesastheyservedas
motivationtoworkharderandpursuemoreuntilIcouldbeeventuallybecomesmarter,
morecompetent,andamorearduousworker.AsIreflectedonmypastregardingthe
subject,themostaccurateassociationIhavetocomparetheeffectofselfesteemtowasa
marathonthatneverends;Itsaconstantjourneyofworkinghardertobebetteranddo
betterbecauseweknowwecanalwaysstriveformore.Theresimplyisnotand,Ithink,
shouldnotbeapointofbeingcontent.Thereshould,however,beacceptancethrough
thisprocessasweareallhumanandperfectionisunattainable.Thedifferencebetween
beingcontentandbeingacceptingofonesselfisthatthroughbeingcontent,oneis
surrenderingtheirfurtherendeavorsastheyarehappyintheirpresentstate.Acceptance,

inthisprocess,canbeassociatedwithacceptingacurrentstateofbeing,butstillthriving
toexcelfurther.Throughlowselfesteem,Iwasabletousetheinsecuritiesasmotivation
toreachahigherselfesteem;onethatappreciatedmyworthandvalueasaperson.This
awarenessledmetoinquireabouttheparallelbetweenproductivity/efficiencyandself
image.
Ifourmostinfluentialleaders,entrepreneurs,inventors,physicists,mathematicians,
etc.hadgivenuporsimplybeencontentwiththeirworks,wewouldntbethereceivers
oftheirfindings.AlexanderGrahamBell,forexample,wasfirstcreditedwithelectronic
telephone.Hiseffortsrequiredcountlessattemptsandmanyfailuresuntiltheproduct
couldbemarketedtothepopulationafter1876.Whenonecanturntheircant(s)into
can(s),onecanchangetheirnegativeselfevaluationintoapositiveone.Myquestion
regardingthistransitioninquireshowwe,ashumans,cantransitionfromlowselfesteem
toahigherselfesteeminahealthyapproachusinginternalmotivations.
Soonafter,Ibecamecuriousabouttheoriginofthisbehavior.Iwantedtoknow
whatcauseslowselfesteemandinsecurityaswellashighselfesteemandconfidence.I
learnedthatlowselfesteemisaderivativeofourcaregiversbehaviors,ourrelationship
withourcaregivers,orsocietysinfluencethroughsocialmedia.Ifthisistrue,maybe
thisissuewithlowselfesteemisinevitable.Perhaps,wearecondemnedfromorigin.If
wearebornintoasocietythatfocusesmoreontheunacceptablethantheacceptable,
why,orbetteryethow,couldwestrivetoimpeachthisthinking?
Mymotivationwithmoreextensiveresearchistoconveyathesisthatisrelative
andprevalentintodayssociety.Mypeersshouldfindassuranceinthetopicsand

solutionsaddressedinmyresearch.Perhaps,myaudiencewillgainfurtherinsightor
perspectiveintoselfesteemthatwillaidthemintheirtransitionthroughcollegeandunto
greaterofferings.Changeandadaptationareinevitableandifmyreaderscangain
confidenceinthemselvesthroughtheirgreatestendeavors,mypurposeinprovingthat
productivityandefficiencyarerelatedtoselfesteemisvalid.