Self Esteem Research Paper

Words: 431
Pages: 2

As a preteen, I found it hard to look at myself in a mirror. Every morning, I would try to look myself in the eye and smile. This proved to be a difficult task every time I tried to. Not only my own eyes but others' were just as, if not, much harder to look into. When I developed into my preteen stage of life, I suffered from major self-esteem issues. The problem seemed to hit me suddenly. In the past, I've been bullied verbally about my willingness to learn (going to school in an urban neighborhood where education wasn't looked highly upon), my size, and acting "white." This abuse often made going to school upsetting and I'd make excuses not to go. During my preteen years, I started to receive more respect, but the emotional burden was …show more content…
These people were mostly jealous of the effort that I put into everything I did. Maybe their personal lives didn't allow them the motivation to succeed, and they lashed out at me as a coping mechanism. I'd like to say, if I were in their shoes, that I'd be different, but I simply don't know if that's true. Regardless, being able to understand why people acted they way they did helped my self-esteem greatly. At the time, I felt horrible about my appearance and actions. After a while, I began reflecting upon why I had negative feelings towards myself. I connected the times I was bullied to all the feelings I had about myself. It wasn't easy, but looking back at the context of what people were saying to me allowed me to improve my self-esteem over time. Reflecting on the past made it easier to look at my reflection in the mirror. Today, I sometimes have trouble looking myself in the eye and smiling. Socializing can be awkward for me sometimes. However, more times than not doing such is easy. I know that I am a bright, young, African-American male attending one of the best high schools in Detroit and that my potential is limitless. Remembering this can always crack a smile for me, even on the gloomiest of