BOSTON, May 29 U.S. experts are debating whether making self-esteem a primary goal could remove the incentive for genuine self-improvement and encourage self-centeredness.Some clinicians say that long-term studies provide sufficient evidence that self-esteem is a source of positivity, not just a by-product, but critics writing in the June issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter suggest that even when self-esteem is associated with something desirable, such as happiness, there is no proof of a causal link.Constant attention to self-validation is not a road to good mental health, says Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter."It's more likely that self-esteem will come as a result of accurate self-understanding, appreciation of one's genuine skills and the satisfaction of helping others," Miller said in a statement. Researchers are beginning to examine differences between explicit and implicit self-esteem. The explicit form is judged by what people say about ourselves, while implicit self-esteem is measured by automatic responses, such as how people associate words that have favorable or unfavorable connotations with ourselves, says Miller.Copyright 2007 by UPI
