- Overview
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In his book A Society That Fabricates Self-Esteem, psychologist Tae-hyung Kim presents a new definition of self-esteem and its interpretations for Koreans whose society has failed to nurture their self-esteem.
- Book Intro
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These days, books about self-esteem have become best sellers in succession, and people are looking for ways to respect themselves without desperately seeking the recognition of others. Why do so many people get distressed and suffer regarding the issue of self-esteem? Is it true that low self-esteem is a personal problem?
Why are Koreans obsessed with self-esteem nowadays? What is the condition to regain true self-esteem? True self-esteem is to understand others.
The moment we ascribe self-esteem to the realm of personal responsibility, we risk falling for false self-esteem that is based on erroneous standards. That is if we feel anxiety, which arises when we underestimate our abilities, we tend to stick to those values that are highly thought of in society in an effort to eliminate our sense of insecurity. For example, we seek to improve our specific skills, appearances, and salaries in order to be recognized by other people, and thus as a means of increasing our own self-esteem.
The author Tae-hyung Kim, who has sought and talked about ways to keep our mind by applying psychology to our everyday life, ruthlessly criticizes the social conditions fostering false self-esteem. In order to stop our blind dash toward false self-esteem, he suggests that we correctly understand what self-esteem is and find methods to establish true self-esteem. More than anything else, Kim emphasizes the importance of healthy relationships. He says, “Through the efforts to understand others, oneself, and the relationships among all of us from deep in the heart, we can build the psychological foundations to truly love ourselves and others.”
- About the Author
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Tae-hyung Kim
(English) After graduating from the Department of Psychology at Korea University, Taehyoung Kim studied clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Korea University. Since 2005, he has been introducing the results of psychology research to the public through active research, writing, education, lectures, and counseling. He is also the director of Together, a psychology research institute.
- Recommendation
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Chan-ho Oh (author and social studies scholar), 2018. Diagnosis of Koreans’ Self-Esteem in the 21st Century; the Society That Fails to Protect the Individual’s Self-Esteem. Psychologist Tae-hyung Kim trenchantly reveals the bare face of the “false self-esteem” and talks about what is more important than self-love. I recommend this book to those who are tired of shallow advice about happiness.
In-jin Yoon (professor of the department of Social Studies, Korea University), 2018. False Self-Esteem VS. True Self-Esteem. This book claims that we build a new community on the basis of free will. It insightfully shows the fact that true self-esteem is required to become a sympathetic person.
