At what age does our self-esteem peak?
Thursday, April 18, 2024.
Unveiling the Lifelong Journey of Self-Esteem: Insights from Research
New research has unveiled a fascinating trajectory of self-esteem that spans the lifespan, offering valuable insights into how humans perceive themselves over time.
The study, drawing from nearly 200 diverse studies encompassing a staggering 165,000 participants… ranging from the tender age of 4 to the seasoned wisdom of 94 has shed light on the intriguing patterns of self-esteem evolution.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, which once held self-esteem as an unchanging facet of personality akin to the fixed stars, this comprehensive meta-analysis reveals a dynamic narrative of transient and enduring self-esteem fluctuations across various life stages.
During childhood and adolescence, self-esteem embarks on a gradual ascent, remaining relatively flat in the tumultuous terrain of teenage years before experiencing a surge in early adulthood, as humans navigate newfound independence and forge their identities.
The 20’s emerge as a pivotal period, marked by significant gains in self-esteem, as the pursuit of autonomy and achievement takes center stage.
Subsequently, self-esteem embarks on a steady, albeit slower, climb through the corridors of middle adulthood, culminating in a peak around the age of 60 to 70.
However, the journey doesn't end there. With the passage of time, particularly in the twilight years, self-esteem undergoes a gentle descent, accompanied by a sharper decline in very old age, reflecting the complex interplay between our individual experiences and the aging process itself .
The study’s authors explain the results:
“This meta-analysis shows that people’s self-esteem changes in systematic ways over the life course.
On average, self-esteem increases in early and middle childhood, remains constant (but does not decline) in adolescence, increases strongly in young adulthood, continues to increase in middle adulthood, peaks between age 60 and 70 years, and then declines in old age, with a sharper drop in very old age.
The pattern of findings holds across gender, country, ethnicity, and birth cohort.
The study's authors underscore the universality of these findings, transcending gender, nationality, ethnicity, and generational cohorts, thereby illuminating the intrinsic nature of self-esteem dynamics.
"Self-esteem is far from being a static attribute," affirm the authors, challenging the notion of its immutability. Instead, they propose a nuanced understanding of self-esteem as subject to both momentary fluctuations and enduring transformations, influenced by a myriad of internal and external factors.
From triumphs in academic or professional pursuits to navigating interpersonal conflicts or reveling in harmonious familial bonds, myriad life events shape the ebb and flow of self-esteem, underscoring its inherent malleability.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
RESEARCH:
Orth, U., Erol, R. Y., & Luciano, E. C. (2018). Development of self-esteem from age 4 to 94 years: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.Psychological Bulletin, 144(10), 1045–1080. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000161
