Hi Mauru
great to have you on board and great question. The terms 'self esteem' and 'self confidence' are vague, abstract terms much bandied about. We can only really understand what they mean by relating them to real human pyschological and behavioural expereience. Self confidence would be more related in the faith and knowledge you have that you can do things well and be effective in what ever capacity. So I may be self confident
aboutsomething such as a skill. The more skills and areas I feel competent within the more generally I can be said to be a self confident person. Self esteem has more to do with how we rate ourselves as individuals, our looks, intelligence, etc. Research shows us that people with low self esteem have very different views about themsleves than other people have of them so they are viewing themselves innaccurately/overly negatively. So you could be confident that you can do things well but still have the
feeling that somehow you are inadequete and not of much value as a human being-low self esteem.
In order to be a confident person with healthy self esteem we need to: develop real practical skills (including social skills), realistically value these skills (knowing what we are good at). Have a relaxed awareness of our weaker points and accept these whilst trying to do the best we can, get our basic needs met
http://www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk/emo ... being.html
Both self confidence and self esteem require a person to be able to relax with uncertainty. The thought and feeling: 'Ok I don't know how this is going to go but, what ever happens I'll handle it somehow, is an incredibly powerful human attribute.
The ugly duckling had 'low self esteem' until it found itself to be no duckling but a swan. For it the self confidence to fly led to an awareness of it's truer nature and destiny.
Mark