Soul Control, Part 6: Making Better Choices

I want to complement David on his most excellent series on the topic of self esteem. Keep it up, I will look out for the next in the series.

The self esteem <-> ego see-saw is an amazing principle/type. I agree with David that most people today suffer from chronic low self esteem because we are at a historical low of doing mitzvot.

I have heard bits and pieces of this advice over the years, but never heard anyone put it all together like you have. Thank you so very much, I really need help in this area!

Technology as a convenience in one way that alters our ego, but it all depends on how one goes about keeping things simple and straight-fwd. I generally think that low self-esteem has more to do with the choices we make and bad past memories more than technology itself...Perhaps another reason why many suffer from low self-esteem is due to so many kinds of medications available - even though you would take something like an anti-depressant, doesn't necessarily raise your self-esteem (though it may improve motor functioning skills)...Those born after 1980/5740 saw a lot of technologies collaborate together. Since I am what some may call a Reagan baby, I have seen the end of the use of LP records, a decline in sending letters through the mail, less use of personal checks, etc. As for mailing a letter, I still know how to do that by addressing the envelope and taking it over to a mailbox to be mailed. Some people who are younger than me probably don't know how to physically mail a letter properly, since they are so used to sending e-mails...All in all, the choices we make certainly do have an impact on our self-esteem that can either make or break it. The rest happens by chance, which is the external factor that determines self esteem...PS: If technology detracts our self-esteem, then what were the early Rabbis predicting that in 1840/5600 there would be an explosion of technology prior to the Messianic age? Did they think it was a good thing, bad thing, or a contriving thing leading to a significant world event? I've heard that when there was an explosion in technology, we would be closer to G-d getting messages across from one person to the other, similarly to that of the flood during Noah's ark, sort of speak...Nonetheless, as long as there is a purpose for the world, we must all make a good effort to make it a better place through selfless deeds/mitzvot of kindness.

While there is something to be said about overcoming obstacles as a way of building self-esteem, I personally do not believe that advances in technology are solely to blame for a generation of individuals with low-self esteem. It is my opinion that the underpinnings of self-esteem are built in childhood. The building blocks are the type of interactions we have with our parents and the models we observe who teach us how to face and manage a variety of stresses. If one is unfortunate to receive poor role models who are unable themselves to model healthy behavior, then the child is left without tools to navigate critical life situations. Unless we as adults are able to find new and healthier models, it can be extremely difficult to create new behaviors and attitudes ourselves. Technology can be a wonderful tool. After all, without recent advances, we wouldn't have an aish.com or the plethora of educational devices out there which can help people improve their self-esteem and become informed on a variety of topics. In my opinion, it is how we choose to use these tools which make all the difference.