Morality, Religion & Philosophy: January 2005 Archives
Apparently self-esteem isn't all it's cracked up to be. Duh. Here's a link to the article Randy writes about below.
Finally!! A major study by an expert in self esteem commissioned by the American Psychological Society to study the benefits of self-esteem, and the finding is “disappointing.” Professor Roy F. Baumeister of Florida State writes in the Tuesday Opinion Section of the Los Angeles Times:1. Does not produce better grades
2. Does not produce better work habits or quality
3. Does not result in more friends or better relationships
4. Does not produce better leaders
5. Does not keep people from becoming bullies
6. Does not keep people from cheating, stealing or experimenting with sex or drugs
Anyone who's ever been a kid can tell you that the biggest liars, cheats, and bullies also had the highest self-esteem. So why do people praise self-esteem? Probably because people with it, in heaping quantities, rate themselves as doing better than perhaps they actually are. From Dr. Baumeister's article:
Self-esteem doesn't make adults perform better at their jobs either. Sure, people with high self-esteem rate their own performance better — even declaring themselves smarter and more attractive than their low self-esteem peers — but neither objective tests nor impartial raters can detect any difference in the quality of work.Likewise, people with high self-esteem think they make better impressions, have stronger friendships and have better romantic lives than other people, but the data don't support their self-flattering views. If anything, people who love themselves too much sometimes annoy other people by their defensive or know-it-all attitudes. Self-esteem doesn't predict who will make a good leader, and some work (including that of psychologist Robert Hogan writing in the Harvard Business Review) has found humility rather than self-esteem to be a key trait of successful leaders.
Gosh, who would've guessed it?
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.Proverbs 18:12
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.Proverbs 22:4
Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
And those are just "humility"; do a search on "humble" for further insight and wisdom.
I'm so sick of people excusing their own ridiculous behavior with a shrug and "that's just the way I am!"
Molest children? Don't blame Michael Jackson, that's just the way he is!
Drown your children? Don't blame Andrea Yates, that's the just way she is!
Bash your kids' heads in with a rock? Don't blame Deanna Laney, that's just the way she is!
Those are particularly heinous examples of course, but just about everyone is quick to forgive their own evil. The "I was born that way" defense of genetic predisposition gets us nowhere, because it shouldn't matter why a crime was committed (motive), only that it was committed. Motive shouldn't be confused with intent: intent means that the crime was committed purposefully, and motive can be used to show intent. Intent is a necessary component of some crimes (such as first degree murder), but motive should be irrelevant.
This isn't new, but my youth pastor's sermon this morning brought to mind the fact that a great many people -- who claim to be Christians -- have serious misconceptions about God and spiritual matters.
One of the more intriguing findings is that not all people who call themselves Christians believe all the conventional Christian beliefs. For example, one percent of Christians do not believe in God, 8% do not believe in the survival of the soul after death, 7% do not believe in miracles, 5% do not believe in heaven, 7% do not believe in the Virgin birth and 18% do not believe in hell.
Another poll reveals even more differing opinions on the nature of God.
Most Americans agree that there is a God, but their perceptions of who God is and how much God controls events on Earth vary greatly. There is no consensus on God’s gender, form or role on Earth:* A plurality (42%) of all adults (but only 37% of men) thinks God is male, but only 1% thinks God is female. Almost half of all adults believe that God is neither male nor female (38%) or that God is both (11%).
* Only 9% think of God as being like a human being with a face, body, arms, legs and eyes. Almost half (48%) think of God as a spirit or power that can take on human form, while 27% think of God as a spirit or power who does not take a human form.
* Less than a third (29%) of the public believes that God controls what happens on Earth. Half (50%) believes God observes but does not control events on Earth, while 6% believe God neither observes nor controls earthly events.
* A slender (53%) majority believes that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same God, but 32% think they worship different gods.
It's impossible to attain a right understanding of God through observation and experience, because God is supernatural. The only way to learn about God is through revelation, because revelation is God telling us what he's like. It's like how a father tells his kids what he does at work all day; there's no way for the kids to find out much on their own, and they only know as much as the father reveals. If you can't get God to send an angelic messanger to you directly, I recommend checking out the Bible.
