I think I've finally realised that I have low self-esteem recently, and though I'm conflicted because the question I ask myself is "how can it be low self esteem if I'm being honest with myself?"There is one major trait I see in all of my successful friends and partners.
They aren’t that much smarter.
They aren’t particularly talented.
But there’s one thing they all have.
Ridiculous self esteem.
It’s not even that they brag. It’s deeper than that.
It runs so deep. It’s the internal, almost subconscious belief, that their own views, their own ideas, their own path, is somehow, irrefutably, unarguably, inherently CORRECT.
And then there’s everyone else.
They are always looking around. They are always following. Always listening. Always changing themselves to fit the mold. Their beliefs, their views, their path, is always in accordance with what they believe is acceptable. This is the 99%. This behavior is showing that deep inside, they believe themselves to be wrong. In essence, low self esteem.
The whole world has low self esteem. It is a club, a cult. And it’s made up of about everyone. 99%.
The insidious thing about low self esteem, is that it is hardwired into people to regulate the self esteem of others. Meaning: they will want you to be at their level. Even if they don’t understand what they’re doing. They will still attempt to always regulate the self esteem of others to fit their level.
And since 99% of them all have low self esteem….
There is a war going on. A war to make you just like them, infected.
Here’s a non exhaustive list of examples.
Your parents want you to be safe more than they want you to be successful. They will attempt to regulate your self esteem and expectations to maximize safety over success.
Your teachers and other superiors will project their own limiting beliefs onto your life, telling you what’s possible, only because it aligns with what they think is possible.
Your peers do not like to feel inferior. It is easy and simple to lower others self esteem to bring you down.
Having high self esteem is a mirror onto others that highlights their own failures.
Your girlfriend that subconsciously wants to increase her chances of keeping you, and wants you to sink lower, stay at home, get a bit fatter, all in hopes of maximizing security, subconsciously knowing you won’t leave if you’re not such a stud.
It is a giant cult, made up of the 99%, and they all want you to join.
It isn’t even conscious usually. It just fulfills a deep, unconscious itch in the emotions of average people, so it’s doubly insidious. Any idiot can do it and not even know why.
It’s a trap. It’s like a zombie with the urge to bite and infect, even if there’s no other consciousness going on.
Things that raise your self esteem:
Compliments.
Success.
Your iron will.
It’s a short list.
I promise you, there’s a good chance your self esteem is broken. It has been attacked daily and will continue to be. The only cure is to recognize that a massive percentage of communication directed at you is inherently selfish, insidious, unconscious, and wrong. It is manipulative and meant to lower your self esteem to protect the ego and project insecurities and limitations of the sick, broken people around you. The 99%.
When you become wise, when you can temper your mind like steel, when you can see past the surface level of most communication, you’ll see for yourself. You must not let yourself become infected.
It will come from every direction. It will come from above and below. From near and far. From inside and out. From random strangers and your own family. From your friends and your enemies. From the world and even from your own doubts.
The man who wins is not the man who never hears doubts, who never faces a barrage of attacks against his self esteem.
The man who wins is the man who knows it’s all a pile of shit, who protects his self esteem, who stays on his path and lets the sick infected majority bite each other to death, and keeps going.
It seems like almost every good thing in my life is because I was a stubborn a**hole who just didn’t listen to what he ‘should’ do. And I mean in almost every area.
Here’s the funny thing.
You’ll come out the other side.
You’ll be sitting around a table. All your business friends are sitting there. You’re smoking a cigar. You just spent a few hours grilling steaks and riding jet skis, talking shit. Each of your cute girlfriends are making you drinks and bringing food.
“Here you go baby, I made it just how you like it”. Every friend is self employed and scaling their company.
Life is good.
And you’ll be around people who all followed their own path. Who broke the rules and still do.
Everything will make sense.
And you’ll remember how important it is to trust yourself.
And you’ll never go back. You’ll never even be tempted to fall for it. You’ll double down twice as hard, and bet everything on yourself.
And there’s no turning back.
If for example, I'm lazy, give up easily when faced with obstacles, bad work ethic, still dealing with the same problems since childhood, I can't wrap my head around how is it that I have low self-esteem if these things are true?
Like, a lot of the time I don't believe that I can figure out a task. I assess it, see that it's too difficult and just immediately give up because I don't see myself figuring it out. Which is weird because I've had moments where I've figured stuff out and I've never had the thought of "I can do it", I attribute a lot of it to luck or help, etc.
But I think I'm finally seeing the consequences of it.
Curious to hear your thoughts and anyone elses.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today