What hinders the development of self-belief in people?

Question

I agree with "avatar" (the second answer) that the lack of real-world accomplishment is a major factor in hindering self-belief, and as you mentioned, "accomplishment is usually tied to work and effort and the development of repeatable skills".

But don't these works and efforts require a great-deal of self-belief too, a strong sense of belief that the work and effort will not go wasted and that they will eventually contribute to a person's success?

In that case, it seems like a never ending cycle. At one instance, the lack of self-belief is attributed to the lack of real-world accomplishments, and on the other hand, the lack of real-world accomplishment can be attributed to the lack of self-belief.

It seems like it takes an unusual circumstances or an earth-shattering paradigm shift for an individual to be able to break into the cycle to achieve something that the individual felt great about, and subsequently sustain the self-belief.

What do you think?

Answer 1

What hinders the development of self-believe is that one gives the power to someone that believes less in themselves.. People are mean and can say mean things but when they do and try to beat you down but you don't let them. Then they can not control your development. They might hinder a child but not to an adult if the adult does not permit it.

Answer 2

Self belief or self esteem is often discussed as if it grows independently of actual accomplishment-it does not. Self belief without accomplishment is narcissism and is a toxic form of false self belief. So, the main hindrance to forming functional self belief is lack of real world accomplishment. Accomplishment is usually tied to work and effort and the development of repeatable skills.

Answer 3

Failures of an internal and/or external nature.

'Maslow saw human beings' needs arranged like a ladder. The most basic needs, at the bottom, were physical -- air, water, food, sex. Then came safety needs -- security, stability -- followed by psychological, or social needs -- for belonging, love, acceptance. At the top of it all were the self-actualizing needs '

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow

'Favourable outcomes of each stage are sometimes known as "virtues", a term used, in the context of Eriksonian work, as it is applied to medicines, meaning "potencies." For example, the virtue that would emerge from successful resolution. Oddly, and certainly counter-intuitively, Erikson's research suggests that each individual must learn how to hold both extremes of each specific life-stage challenge in tension with one another, not rejecting one end of the tension or the other. Only when both extremes in a life-stage challenge are understood and accepted as both required and useful, can the optimal virtue for that stage surface. Thus, 'trust' and 'mis-trust' must both be understood and accepted, in order for realistic 'hope' to emerge as a viable solution at the first stage. Similarly, 'integrity' and 'despair' must both be understood and embraced, in order for actionable 'wisdom' to emerge as a viable solution at the last stage.

The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are:

hope- Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
will- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
purpose- Initiative vs. Guilt
competence- Industry vs. Inferiority
fidelity- Identity vs. Role Confusion
love (in intimate relationships, work and family)- Intimacy vs. Isolation
caring- Generativity vs. Stagnation
wisdom- Ego Integrity vs. Despair
Ego Identity Versus Role Confusion - Ego identity enables each person to have a sense of individuality, or as Erikson would say, "Ego identity, then, in its subjective aspect, is the awareness of the fact that there is a self-sameness and continuity to the ego's synthesizing methods and a continuity of one's meaning for others" (1963) Role Confusion however, is, according to Barbara Engler in her book Personality Theories (2006), "The inability to conceive of oneself as a productive member of one's own society" (158). This inability to conceive of oneself as a productive member is a great danger; it can occur during adolescence when looking for an occupation.
'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Erickson

So, anything that would interfere with the striving to acquire or a failure to supply stable norms to conform to would be conducive to failure.

The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative.

Answer 4

Other people who are out there - just to destroy the self-belief.