Here's what the Bible says about man. Romans 3:10-18, As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open [d]tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Self esteem is the opposite of what God says is man's true condition, which is why man needs a savior. He cannot save himself, and without the savior he is condemned to hell.

The poison that is psychology has a lot to answer for.

They love to tell everyone how important they are, they are in a turf war with others in the plastic sciences to be recognized as the new secular priestly caste but are seething as the proper science of neuroscience has undermined them utterly. They are not smart enough to be neuroscientists anyway.

People develop "self-esteem" -- a sense of comfort with and respect FOR themselves -- during childhood (and during gestation, birth, and infancy as well) IF they have parents who treat them with love and respect. We develop a healthy connection to others during our earliest years, or we go through life disconnected to some extent from other humans and from the animals we share this world with.

Humans are social animals and when we can't feel the connection to others that we are MADE for, it hurts so badly that solitary confinement is used as a form of torture.

Imagine living your life in near-solitary confinement, and you'll have some idea of the pain and anger people raised without love and respect must deal with. The details vary enormously but, on average, the damage is more severe the more trauma is inflicted (which doesn't have to come from bad parenting; losing a family member through accident or disease, for instance, is usually a major trauma).

The ACE study shows how important this is, for those interested.

Our overall findings, presented extensively in the American literature, demonstrate that:

• Adverse childhood experiences are surprisingly common, although typically concealed and unrecognized.

• ACEs still have a profound effect 50 years later, although now transformed from psychosocial experience into organic disease, social malfunction, and mental illness.

• Adverse childhood experiences are the main determinant of the health and social well-being of the nation.

A talk by Dr. Vincent Felitti, one of the ACE Stdy authors, on the study and its results (32 min 44 sec).

Wise men and women (including ordinary healthy people) have always understood this. Direct quotes (as reported by disciples long ago and later translated into English, of course) from Jesus on the topics of children, treatment of children, and the inner life that results from that treatment, good or bad:

• Matthew: 
18:1 - 18:6

• Mark: 
10:13 - 10:15

• Luke: 
17:21

• John: 
13:34 - 13:35

This movement gives rise to the worst of sins: Pride. Humility and thinking others are better than oneself is the cure.