Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Self compassion more helpful than self esteem for weathering life?

Totally makes sense, though not something I often think about.
Self-compassion involves three components. They are self-kindness (being kind and understanding toward oneself rather than self-critical); common humanity (viewing one’s negative experiences as a normal part of the human condition); and mindful acceptance (having mindful equanimity rather than over-identifying with painful thoughts and feelings). "

In other words, don't be so hard on yourself.

The researchers found that:
  • People with higher self-compassion had less negative emotional reactions to real, remembered and imagined bad events.
    Self-compassion allowed people to accept responsibility for a negative experience, but to counteract bad feelings about it.
  • Self-compassion protects people from negative events differently –- and in some cases better -- than self-esteem. In addition, the positive feelings that characterize self-compassionate people do not appear to involve the hubris, narcissism or self-enhancing illusions that characterize many people with high self-esteem.
  • Being self-compassionate is particularly important for people with low self-esteem. People with low self-esteem who treat themselves kindly in spite of unflattering self-evaluations fare as well as, if not better than, those with high self-esteem.
  • For self-compassionate people, their view of themselves depends less on the outcomes of events, presumably because they respond in a kind and accepting manner toward themselves whether things go well or badly.
Deceptively simple.
http://www.physorg.com/news98466411.html

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