Happiness and Self Respect

How self-respect and self-acceptance pave the way to happiness

This essay will present the thesis that the brightest happiness is organized by serving self-respect.

Several definitions of happiness come to mind.

Aristotle said true happiness is a function of the expression of virtue. T. Robbins thought it was living by your highest ideals. Others say it is working hard for a goal and getting rewarded.

Definitions of Happiness

Self-respect means having pride and pleasure in your accomplishments. It is about liking yourself and being confident about who you are.

I like the definition of happiness that asserts it is peace of mind that results from acting in accord with your inner guide

Too many of us turn down a chance for happiness because we lack self-respect. We tend to be more concerned with what others think rather than care about ourselves.

Self-respect and Happiness

Self-respect is essential for happiness. If you respect yourself, you tend to be more confident and willing to make decisions that further your goals.

People who stay in relationships, have satisfying jobs and are happy tend to be high on self-respect.

One primary symptom of people with low self-respect is that they are overly pleasant and eager to please. And they tend to underestimate the value of their labor.

For example, I was unsure what to charge for my services in the early days of my sales seminar business. A colleague thought I should charge two to three hundred dollars per head for a half-day seminar; I thought $125 was about right.

I continued to charge this rate as time passed, but my colleague insisted I was not charging enough. I later came to agree. I made the mistake of undervaluing my labor because of my low self-regard. This is now corrected, and I am happier about it.

If you have self-respect, you are more confident and do not concern yourself with what others think.

Self-respect and Confidence

Increased self-worth means you can make decisions that further your goals. And goal achievement is the main road to happiness.

People who go after their dreams are more likely to achieve them and are thus happier than those who do not.

Surely having a happy life has something to do with getting what you want, rather than being frustrated and deprived of what you want?

“We all have desires; the happy person will be the person whose desires are fulfilled. The philosopher’s term for this is the ‘desire-satisfaction’ account, which appeals to more thoughtful ideas about happiness than our initial ones.”

As J. Anna argues: I am happy if I think I am since I am getting what I want. Who could be a better authority than I am on the issue of whether I am getting what I want?

Satisfaction of desire seems the most straightforward approach for seeing how self-respect can enhance happiness. Self-respect forms the foundation of all the decisions you’ll ever make about what you desire to pursue.

Happiness and self-respect are joined at the hip. And the critical factor tying them together is self-acceptance.

Self-worth theory posits that an individual’s main priority in life is to find self-acceptance and that self-acceptance is gained through achievement (Covington & Beery, 1976).

“For happiness to follow self-acceptance is not surprising. In fact, your level of self-acceptance determines your level of happiness. The more self-acceptance you have, the more happiness you’ll allow yourself to accept, receive and enjoy. In other words, you enjoy as much happiness as you believe you’re worthy of.” So basically: self-acceptance = happiness

These interconnections prove that self-respect, happiness, and self-acceptance belong together. For what better thing is there than to show respect for the part of the personality that seeks equilibrium between all three?

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