--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The higher our self-esteem, the stronger…" description: "\"The higher our self-esteem, the stronger the drive to express ourselves, reflecting the sense of richness within. The lower our self-esteem, the more u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c5/nathaniel-branden-2125_esteem_the-higher-our-self-esteem-the-stronger_1920978.png" --- # The higher our self-esteem, the stronger the drive to… ![“The higher our self-esteem, the stronger the drive to express ourselves, reflecting the sense of richness within. The lower our self-esteem, the more urgent the need to "prove" ourselves or to forget ourselves by living mechanically and unconsciously.” quote by Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c5/nathaniel-branden-2125_esteem_the-higher-our-self-esteem-the-stronger_1920978.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c5/nathaniel-branden-2125_esteem_the-higher-our-self-esteem-the-stronger_1920978.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c5/nathaniel-branden-2125_esteem_the-higher-our-self-esteem-the-stronger_1920978.png) > “The higher our self-esteem, the stronger the drive to express ourselves, reflecting the sense of richness within. The lower our self-esteem, the more urgent the need to "prove" ourselves or to forget ourselves by living mechanically and unconsciously.” [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High self‑esteem fuels authentic self‑expression and a sense of inner wealth; low self‑esteem drives a compulsive need to prove oneself or act mechanically. **In simple terms:** Confidence encourages genuine expression; insecurity leads to over‑compensation. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑esteem to act authentically. Themes self‑esteem authenticity motivation psychology Mood reflective encouraging Type inspirational psychological When to use this quote - personal development - leadership - mental health - relationships - career advancement Key Concepts self‑concept intrinsic motivation identity self‑validation Questions to Reflect On - How does your self‑esteem affect your daily choices? - What steps can you take to nurture inner confidence? A Different Perspective Low self‑esteem may mask deeper trauma, limiting change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Higher self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-self/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Richness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richness/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) ## Related quotes > [“When your higher self rises your lower self falls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/when-your-higher-self-rises-your-lower-self-falls/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Your lower self sees you as the center of the universe- your higher self sees you as a cell in the body of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/your-lower-self-sees-you-as-the-center-of-the-universe-your-higher/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [Think about all the good things of your life. Never think about your difficulties. Forget yourself, and concentrate on being of service as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/think-about-all-the-good-things-of-your-life-never-think-about-your/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [“The lower self is a ghost to the higher Self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/the-lower-self-is-a-ghost-to-the-higher-self/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [“You meet your higher self the day you turn your back on your lower self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-meet-your-higher-self-the-day-you-turn-your-back-on-your-lower/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus-by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagavad-gita/thus-knowing-oneself-to-be-transcendental-to-material-senses-mind-and/) [Bhagavad Gita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagavad-gita/) > [“You recognize your lower self when you look in a mirror, but only recognize your higher self when you look inside your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-recognize-your-lower-self-when-you-look-in-a-mirror-but-only/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The lower your self-esteem, the more apt you are to believe that someone else holds the key to your happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hemphill/the-lower-your-self-esteem-the-more-apt-you-are-to-believe-that/) Helen Hemphill > [ “It \[the Now Habit program\] cuts through the crippling assumptions of the Puritan work ethic—that your production determines your worth—and the negative Freudian views… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-a-fiore/it-the-now-habit-program-cuts-through-the-crippling-assumptions-of/) [Neil A. Fiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-a-fiore/) > [If being with them requires you to lower your self-worth you shouldn't be with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-being-with-them-requires-you-to-lower-your-self-worth-you-shouldn/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“Ownership is yet another of the endless forms of arrogance engaged in by the lower self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/ownership-is-yet-another-of-the-endless-forms-of-arrogance-engaged-in/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [We can only take it so far, because man can only take it so far, lower self can only take it so far, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/we-can-only-take-it-so-far-because-man-can-only-take-it-so-far-lower/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [You can't let someone else lower your self-esteem, because that's what it is - self-esteem. You need to first love yourself before you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-harlow/you-can-t-let-someone-else-lower-your-self-esteem-because-that-s-what/) [Winnie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-harlow/) > [It is a curious thing how poets tend to become ascetics… Even a debauch for them is a self-flagellation. They go on the loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/it-is-a-curious-thing-how-poets-tend-to-become-ascetics-even-a/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Some people lower their own self esteem simply by seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-lower-their-own-self-esteem-simply-by-seeking-approval-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Nathaniel Branden > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/a-commitment-to-lifelong-learning-is-a-natural-expression-of-the/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [What a great teacher, a great parent, a great psychotherapist and a great coach have in common is a deep belief in the potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/what-a-great-teacher-a-great-parent-a-great-psychotherapist-and-a/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [If we are happy within ourselves, we don't accept or demand that our partner should fulfill every need. 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Embrace it fully. And watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/suppose-you-feel-you-cannot-accept-some-fact-about-yourself-then-own/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Doing more of what doesn't work doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/doing-more-of-what-doesn-t-work-doesn-t-work/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [“Out of fear, out of the desire for approval, out of misguided notions of duty, people surrender themselves--their convictions and their aspirations--every day. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/out-of-fear-out-of-the-desire-for-approval-out-of-misguided-notions/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [If you overcome your fear to ask someone for a date, a raise, or help with a project, that is an act of self-assertiveness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/if-you-overcome-your-fear-to-ask-someone-for-a-date-a-raise-or-help/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [When we bury our feelings, we also bury ourselves. It means we exist in a state of alienation. We rarely know it, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/when-we-bury-our-feelings-we-also-bury-ourselves-it-means-we-exist-in/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Explore all 183 Nathaniel Branden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) ## More Esteem quotes > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/nothing-is-better-for-self-esteem-than-survival/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Needs cause motivation. 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Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [Spina bifida affects every single aspect of your life, from your child's self-esteem to your ability to sleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-ari-parker/spina-bifida-affects-every-single-aspect-of-your-life-from-your-child/) [Nicole Ari Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-ari-parker/) > [You never exist quite so much as when you are not thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/you-never-exist-quite-so-much-as-when-you-are-not-thinking/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Never let the opinion of another affect your opinion of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/never-let-the-opinion-of-another-affect-your-opinion-of-yourself/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [You'd be surprised how addicting high self-esteem is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/you-d-be-surprised-how-addicting-high-self-esteem-is/) [Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/) > [The only thing I pay attention to with free throws is what a guy does in the final four minutes of a game. 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