Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

Rating:
Summary: Recommend to everyone
Review: If I could only recommend one book for everyone to read, this would be it. This is just one of those books that I just pick up sometimes and start reading a page or two and I'm never disappointed. At first I thought the sentence completions would be cheesy, but after trying them I've stuck with them for five weeks. It has really turned my life around more than I could have hoped before I read it. I'm forever indebted to this man.

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Summary: The best book to read in the "self-help" genre
Review: If you only read one book about personal psychology or self help, this is the one to choose. Almost any time I have a difficult problem, I can consult this book and realize where I am not bringing enough awareness or responsibility to my life. The most important lesson Branden teaches in this book is that no one is coming to save you, but in the process, he gives you the tools to save yourself.

This is a book that can be read rapidly for those with some experience in Objectivism or psychology. Readers new to personal psychology can take the book step by step, mastering one pillar of self esteem at a time. I have heard that many people find the sentence completion exercises he provides to be valuable, although I have never felt the need for them.

Overall, The Six Pillars has a lot to offer everyone whether they are seeking answers for problems in their life or looking to learn more about psychology.

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Summary: A comprehensive picture of self-esteem is presented lucidly.
Review: In a letter to me in 1995, the author called this book his best effort ever. It is a wonderful contribution to the self-help movement, easy to follow and the concepts are built up step by step, one leading to the next. My grandmother who had taught herself to read and never been to school, read it and remarked, "He writes so well. Even I am able to understand it."

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Summary: Branden At His Best: Rational and Informative
Review: Nathaniel Branden is the father of the self-esteem movement. When his first book, The Psychology Of Self-Esteem was published, the word self-esteem was non-existent on the cultural scene. On first experiencing Nathaniel Branden at one of his workshops, I remember thinking to myself, this is rationality at its best. Over the years, Branden's books on self-esteem have continued in this tradition. Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem appears to be a culmination of his knowledge on the subject, a broadening of experience of over 25 years since the publication of The Psychology of Self-Esteem. For anyone interested in self-improvement or growth, for anyone wishing to break free from the cycle of the past or to discover the disowned self, for anyone floundering in the world of pop-psychology or five-minute improvement courses, this is the type of book that can lead the way. Once again, Nathaniel Branden demonstrates rationality at its best.

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Summary: Great book, but... Caveat Emptor
Review: No one is a better expert on self esteem than Nathaniel Branden. As far as I'm concerned, he is the only person who has attacked this problem with any depth. The Six Pillars of Self Esteem is yet another masterpiece that dares to tackle self esteem on a philosophical level and succeeds in illuminating the reader about the dynamics that may go into creating his own diminished sense of self.

In spite of my endorsement of this book, however, I have to address an issue here, which I will preface by stating the old adage, "Buyer Beware." Why? Because beneath the well-meaning essays about self esteem is a personal agenda on the part of Branden to promote the Western ideal of Individualism, as opposed to Tribalism, which is dominant among Third World countries. Because of this agenda, Branden has been accused of being a cultural imperialist. Unfortunately, judging from what I read in this book, I think that his detractors may be right.

Read the chapter about society and culture and you will notice something very strange: in his explanation of how cultures can carry values detrimental to self esteem, Branden does a great job of pointing out the faults of other countries, but hems and haws when it comes to pointing out the faults of American culture. In fact, he says that immigrants and 1950's intellectuals are to blame for elements of American society that create self esteem. This proclivity to blame American low self esteem on alien forces rather than the culture itself shows that there is a grain of truth to what Branden's naysayers are saying. I would have defended Branden against the throng of the politically correct who usually scream racism and/ or cultural imperialism at every turn. But after reading this infamous chapter in which Branden suggests that American culture promotes great self esteem, but is somehow muddled because of the ancestry of some of its people who come from countries that DON'T promote ideals that America holds sacred (in other words, good old-fashioned Individualism), I concede. They're right.

Yes, it may be true that intellectuals and immigrants and their backwards tribalism add to the problems of low self esteem in America, but did these alien forces also create the culture of egoism, superficiality, materialism and an emphasis on perfection? Just as low self esteem in Japan is the result of elements in Japanese culture and low self esteem in Hawaii is the result of elements in Hawaiian culture, low self esteem in America is a result of ideas that originated in American culture itself. The emphasis on what a person does instead of what he is; the harsh judgment of people who don't fit Hollywood standards of beauty and thinness; the valuing of a person's outer appearance over his inner self-- these are ideas which we can all agree are PURELY American-based. Branden can try to avoid this harsh, brutal fact all he wants and even blame these ideas on immigrants and intellectuals, but he still cannot avoid the fact that they were nurtured in American society, period. That he isn't as perceptive about problems in American culture as he is about other cultures lends his otherwise good work an air of suspicion.

Now does this all detract from an otherwise good book? Of course not. But I wrote this caveat for several reasons. Number one, I wanted to back-up those people who Branden has criticized for being so narrow-minded in not thinking that his idea of self esteem applies to their culture. It may be a little rash for a black person to accuse Branden of pushing his "white" ideas on minorities; however, as rash as that woman was, her reaction to Branden's ideas was legitimate. Underneath the plea for healthier self esteem, Branden is pushing a very specific value of his as a universal-- in this case, the ideal of Western Individualism. He commits cultural imperialism not by believing that his country has certain virtues superior to other cultures; he does it when he takes this opinion and makes it a personal mission to now transform other cultures-- like the Japanese and the Hawaiian-- who he believes are too Tribal and not as Individual as we are.

Secondly I wrote this to show people to be careful when they read self help books. No self help book is free of prejudice, and so when one reads them, one must learn to separate the really helpful material from the material where the author is merely spouting opinion and even pushing a personal agenda. Every genius has an area where his genius runs out; and Branden's genius runs out when he starts trying to explain self esteem in a more philosophical-- and culturally global-- context." So in reading this book, enjoy the chapters that are helpful to low self esteem. But when Branden starts talking about self esteem and other cultures, watch out! In other words, "Buyer Beware."

Rating:
Summary: R E A D T H I S B O O K.
Review: Read this book.

This is not like other psychology or self-help books. It does not provide easy answers, quick solutions, or relatelively useless academia. It DOES provide you with a very solid understanding of human psychology and motivation, with very, very thorough and logical explanations for its statements.

You do not need to be miserable; you do not need to be in a major depression or time of crisis; you do not need to feel like you "need" a self-help book. If you can say that you would like to have a higher level of happiness in your life -- and who wouldn't? -- then this book is for you.

Odds are, at the very least, it will help you realize some things about yourself you didn't know before, thereby giving you the power to make positive change. And there's a decent chance it will outright change your life, as it did mine.

Regarding some of the criticism in other reviews -- suffice it to say that I feel I understand Branden's concepts pretty well and definitely see some misunderstandings the reviewer had. This is not to say that I agree with every last word Branden says, but the vast majority of his work has a ring of truth far beyond anything I have ever, ever read about human nature.

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Summary: The six pillars of happiness and personal fulfillment
Review: Self-esteem is the relationship that we acquire with ourselves, writes Nathaniel Branden in The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. This work attempts to define what genuine self-esteem is and what its requirements are. The six pillars are the ingredients of any healthy self-concept, and represent the actions that must be taken and the values that must be pursued to acquire it. Life itself depends on the successful attainment of goals, and as the "immune system of consciousness" self-esteem is the gauge of how successful we are in this endeavor.

Each of the six pillars is presented with a sound mix of theoretical discussion and concrete examples from Branden's experience as a psychotherapist. One strength of this book is its highly goal-oriented nature; it offers practical means of acquiring the skills necessary to build self-esteem, and show how to gauge one's progress in developing these skills. These take the form of sentence completion exercises that seek to raise one's level of self-awareness.

Branden writes that his years of study in the field of psychotherapy have lead him to conclude that the six pillars represent the fundamental nature of what healthy self-esteem is. He leaves open the possibility that there may be a superior definition of self-esteem. And while he offers a vigorous defense of his definition and his argument that it (self-esteem as he defines it) is a necessary condition of good mental health, it doesn't support the notion that it is a sufficient condition of it (although he comes across as sounding that way). A thief can take pride in his abilities at thievery, and have an accurate self-concept based upon those skills, but no moral person would describe a thief's version of self-esteem as a sign of sound mental health. Questions such as this are perhaps outside the scope of a work on psychology and properly the subject of a work on ethics, but they are legitimate questions nonetheless (and Branden's suggestion that this work is nearly as much a work of philosophy as it is one on psychology makes these questions legitimate in that context).

Branden's arguments for the importance of cultivating self-esteem in our schools and in the workplace are enlightening and convincing. A capitalist system thrives upon citizens with healthy self concepts, while our schools and places of work often contain elements of an atavistic philosophical outlook that calls for conformance and obedience above all else.

All in all, this work is highly inspirational and leaves the reader with the belief that there is much that we can we do to empower ourselves and take control of our lives, and offers practical means for doing so. This is surely one of the best self-help books available today.

Rating:
Summary: great motivator
Review: takes the individual through a self analysis of why people fail, and what self-esteem is made of

Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read
Review: The six pillars theory explains how we function and why we feel this way or another. It is very consistent and practical. It gives understanding of our moods and motivation. I have been using it with great success. The book is like a "How to use ME" manual I recomend to any person interested in self development. It works! I think Nathaniel Branden deserves a Nobel Prize for the "Six Pillars" theory (if you know how to nominate him, let me know).

Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: This book and Branden's philosophy have some redeeming qualities. The sentence completions are a sort of self-introspection which is important for anyone who wants to change, and self-esteem is topic worthy of discussion. Branden seems to think however that self-esteem is something quantifiable by a number, you either have high or low or in-between. I think that's pretty simplistic and not very helpful to most people. I would argue that people have an image in their minds of who they are which is formed by their past experiences, what they think other people think of them (especially their parents), and also partly their own beliefs. It can't be classified as a number.

Branden says people need to "raise" their self-esteem, what they really need to do is change the image they have of themselves in specific areas. I don't feel Branden offers much framework in this area. The sentence completions are helpful but not life-changing by themselves. Throughout the book he points out people's problem areas but we don't see examples of people making life altering changes over time.

Another major flaw I find in Branden's writing, although not so much in this book, is his work on what he calls "social metaphysics". It sounds complicated, but it's what everyone else calls "people skills" or networking. Branden's philosophy doesn't have room for people who care about what others think or change themselves to "fit in". He dismisses this as people being afraid to think for themselves and thus relying on other to think for them, in the traditional Objectivist, Real Person-Second Hander model.

While Branden is right to an extent that people need to be able to think for themselves, the truth is their is an evolutionary reason behind why people act this way. I realized this why working on my resume and my paper on antitrust legislation. What I learned was that, in any given situation, there are just so many facts out there it's impossible to get them all, and that a lot of times the facts are just misleading. A lot of people with high GPAs are idiots who know how to brown-nose and take easy classes. As a result, when the facts aren't conclusive, you have to rely on people's judgement. In that manner, what people think is important. In addition, fitting into society and various smaller sub-societies requires people to adhere to certain subtle unwritten rules. For instance, I'd be happy wearing my wrinkled shirts every day because it's just as comfortable to me and I don't waste time ironing them. But people see that as sloppy, so I do iron my clothes. I also am nice to people I don't really like, because that makes life easier than the alternative. People have evolved characteristics to do these sorts of things automatically to make life simpler. You can read more about them in the book _Influence_ by Robert Cialdiani (sp). Branden is right, sometimes it's better to ignore these impulses, but his quick-fix, always be an individual philosophy is not going to make you a happier person. It's just going to make your life harder. Like most things, you have to find a balance.

All in all this is an ok book. It has some fundamental problems, but it is easy reading and can be of some help to someone who is caught in a rut in life. It is not Oprah book club worthless pop psychology or discussion on whether you're unsuccessful because you lusted after your mom or your sister growing up. However I think it is of limited benefit, certainly over-stated by many reviewers, and Objectivist ethics as a whole is not a healthy or satisifying way to live your life.

As an alternative, I recommend a book called _Psycho-cybernetics_ by Maxwell Maltz. The book covers much of the same material but offers real solutions and a workable philosophy. The key to getting rid of negative feelings and bad self-esteem is to relax away and ignore the thoughts and feelings, not dwell on them or neurotically try to make them go away by "proving" them wrong. That is something I learned from personal experience, reading Rand/Branden in 1999 and Maltz in 2002. As an aside, while Branden talks a lot about reason and facts in his book, Maltz actually quotes actual scientific studies whereas Branden rarely if ever does. Ever since 1999 I have been reading psychology and philosophy and after all this time I've come to the conclusion that life is keeping a positive attitude, keeping your cool, doing your best and letting the dice fall where they may. The rest is intellectual ....