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The article discusses the importance of self-control. Scientists have come to understand that self-control, rather than self-esteem, is foundational to dealing with personal problems and getting along with others. They also believe the willpower necessary for self-control can be depleted. Additional information is provided about the connection between self-control and addiction, and research in that area.

The article argues that efforts to boost people's self-esteem are of little value in fostering academic achievement or preventing undesirable behavior. People intuitively recognize the importance of self-esteem to their psychological health, so it is not particularly remarkable that most of us try to protect and enhance it in ourselves whenever possible. In the 1980s, California State Assemblyman John Vasconcellos argued that raising self-esteem in young people would reduce crime, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, school underachievement and pollution. Modern efforts have, however, cast doubt on the idea that higher self-esteem actually induces students to do better. Studies of possible links between workers' self-regard and job performance echo what has been found with schoolwork: the simple search for correlations yields some suggestive results, but these do not show whether a good self-image leads to occupational success, or vice versa. After coming to the conclusion that high self-esteem does not lessen a tendency toward violence, that it does not deter adolescents from turning to alcohol, tobacco, drugs and sex, and that it fails to improve academic or job performance, we got a boost when we looked into how self-esteem relates to happiness. The consistent finding is that people with high self-esteem are significantly happier than others. Causation needs to be established. It seems possible that high self-esteem brings about happiness, but no research has shown this outcome. The strong correlation between self-esteem and happiness is just that--a correlation. INSETS: Overview/Self-Esteem;MIXED MESSAGES.

Discusses the level of aggression in people with low and high levels of self-esteem. Suggestion that high self-esteem is an important cause of aggression; Reasons why people with low self-esteem are unlikely to be aggressive; Hypothesis that inflated self-esteem increases the odds of aggression substantially; Conclusion that the formula of threatened egotism combines something about the person with something about the situation.

The article discusses the factors responsible for violent behavior of human beings. It is a common belief that aggression stems from low self-esteem. But, depressed people who have lower self-esteem are less violent as compared to nondepressed people. On the other hand, violent criminals often describe themselves as superior to others. Street-gang members who hold favorable opinions of themselves turn violent when their views are disputed. Hence, self-love is also responsible for aggression.