[Understanding Self-Esteem | MEMBERS' LIVESTREAM](https://www.youtube.com/live/wOFiBzBKD7k?si=JY8QmBPp2mwYNdL7) - Self-Esteem - Sense of identity + way of moving forward. - Ego which changes over time. Orienting mechanic towards future/success - Identity Formation: - Hamgarr/Ego: More spiritual perspective. Yogic in nature. - Path to healing self-esteem. - Self - Concept/construct: mental idea. Propositional. - Object/awareness: - Experience: - ACT: effective secularisation of Buddhist principles. - Negative self esteem:  (NSE) - Part of evolutionary structure: energy conservation strategy. Assesses not good at something, not wasting resources on things you are not good at. - Behavioural inhibition system: “very motivated to not do something”. - Extreme end: catatonia, playing dead system gone haywire. - Playing it safe + not taking risks to increase certainty / reduce risk. - Brain built to look for certainty + have a bias towards certainty. - Brains designed to be sensitive to change. - NSE: change is feared. Able to predict outcomes (if nothing changes). Changing identity requires moving into areas of uncertainty. - NSE produces cognitive bias which shapes information we receive. -  Evolutionary reason: a lot easier to interpret information with bias than change sense of self for information. - Become highly sensitive to other people’s positive feedback (reassurance). - Can become dependent on this. - Reliance unhelpful. - Praise can produce unrealistic problem solving, pressure, imposter syndrome. - If authentic+ can receive = different - NSE is an excuse for lack of performance/effort=source of safety - Really hard for person with NSE to acknowledge they could be wrong. "If I could change it, I could change it a LONG time ago."; A lot of self-blame. Emotional weight/responsibility OVERWHELMING. - Positive SE: (SE) - BAS: Behavioural Activation System - Behavioural activation (helping people find the small positive steps they can take) as a form of treatment. Outside in.   - Behaviour leads to motivation. - Dr K: “I love to write now, but I hated doing it for a long time.” - Need to engage in the behaviour + develop skills, before experiencing positive reinforcement. - Setbacks just a setback. Not tied to self-identity. - Changing SE - SE is an integration of emotional experiences converted into a narrative. - 1:  Foundation of positive SE is emotional mirroring. - 2: be careful about inferences from SE - 3: Attacking cognitive structure - Reinterpreting negative experiences. - Reinterpreting the past - Get new experiences. - EG BPD people in loving relationships receiving acceptance= recovery - Acceptance path to healing, not change - Change means large drop in skill. (initial ways of coping, when developing new ones) - NSE will pull us back to where we feel safe. - Misc - A myth that NSE feels bad and PSE (positive self-esteem) feels good. But NSE feels comfortable, PSE feels uncomfortable. - Suggests acceptance over unconditional positive regard. - Meditation is an awareness of impulses within you. - Gunas (Sanskrit meaning "quality," "attribute," or "strand") are the three fundamental forces of nature—Sattva (purity, harmony), Rajas (passion, activity), and Tamas (darkness, inertia)—that weave together to form everything in the universe, influencing our minds, actions, and existence. All three are present in everyone and everything, but their proportions vary, defining individual character and the state of the world, with yoga and Ayurveda focusing on balancing them for well-being.) - Tamas/inertia : underreaction. - Tamsic Hamgarr: Resistant to change. Stays put. Paralysis of initiation. Self deprecation, despondency, unwillingness to know/be open, fatigue, indolence, do nothingness. - NSE have very rigid pattern. Hard to dislodge. Way easier for narcissistic person to be knocked down than NSE to be built up. - Psychedelics enable reduction in rigidity. Positive environment with this enables new info through. - Denial: keeps self inert. - Fix - Move in opposite direction. - Keep an open mind, do the activity. - Rajas/activity. Overreaction. Positive ego. Pride, accomplishment, “I’m great” - Drives - Sex, lust, desire  - Gratification / getting what you want. - Reinforces ego. - Ambition - Sense of Rightness - Highly valued in world today. - Ego fragile: requires constant upkeep. - To fix: - When having a desire, bring to opposite direction. Practice not fulfilling desires. - Do things someone else’s way as much as possible. - Learns to be less “me” oriented.  - Sattvas: **(Goodness):** Represents balance, harmony, purity, knowledge, serenity, and constructive qualities. -