Regardless of what else we have going for us, life is difficult to enjoy if we do not feel at peace with ourselves. As psychological studies clearly document, our chances of happiness are dramatically lower if we do not have an accepting and trusting attitude toward ourselves.
What exactly does a healthy relationship with oneself look like? What kind of a self is most conducive to happiness? And is it possible to cultivate such a self? Let’s look at what the science of psychology has to say about these fascinating questions.
A Healthy Sense of Self
When it comes to a healthy relationship with the self, psychologists agree on certain qualities that characterize it. One is a capacity for viewing, and a willingness to view, oneself accurately. This means that a person with a healthy sense of self can tolerate an honest look at themself. Their self-perception is not heavily distorted through the lens of their ego’s desires and fears. They can see themself for who they are and calmly accept both their strengths and their weaknesses—neither endlessly bragging about their strengths, nor beating themselves up for their weaknesses. They have neither an exaggeratedly high nor exaggeratedly low sense of self-importance.
