How to Build Self-Esteem, Self-Responsibility, and Self-Efficacy
Self-responsibility both reflects and generates self-esteem. People with high self-esteem feel that they are in charge of their lives. They have a sense of agency and self-efficacy. They take responsibility for their feelings, actions, and lives.
It also means that you take responsibility for the consequences of your choices and behaviors, both positive and negative outcomes, rather than blame yourself or blame others. It requires a desire to review and learn from your mistakes in order to seek solutions and improvement.
Gender Differences
Unlike girls, in adolescence boys are naturally competitive and aggressive, encouraging their autonomy and sense of agency. Girls’ self-esteem begins to suffer from the age of nine, and by adolescence, they fall behind. Feelings of powerlessness and the need for external validation, especially regarding appearance, increase, while self-esteem declines. Whereas, boys generally tend to challenge authority more than girls, if girls are discouraged from taking risks or pursuing goals, they may develop an attitude of “I can’t,” instead of “I can.” Overtime, such young women may develop a passive attitude toward life. This lack of agency and self-esteem can eventually lead to depression.
