Where Does Self-Esteem Come From?
Jane Elliot did the famous Brown Eyed, Blue Eyed Experiment in 1968. During this test she said that people with one eye color were smarter than people with the other eye color. Then Jane Elliot switched her "findings" a week later to the other eye color, stating they were in fact more intelligent than the previous group. 
While today we know that she was doing this in response to the late Dr. Martin Luther King, making sure her students were more culturally aware, this experiment also was very useful when looking at confidence and self-esteem. When Mrs. Elliot told some of her students they weren't as smart as her other students their confidence and self-esteem went down—they felt less than. Her study showed that students who had done really well on tests the week before were, on average, were scoring 30% lower. Why do you think this was? It wasn't because magically a week later they were an inferior person or had lost their smarts somewhere along the way. The reason had to do with their belief in themselves.
Looking back at your life, have you ever noticed after someone who you looked up to, cared about, or thought highly of put you down, your confidence was shattered? Recognizing and finding ways to combat that issue is key. Everyone saw Jane Elliot as the authority figure, which meant she must have be right about who was smarter...right??? We know that using that experiment and telling those kids they weren't smart was to combat a greater issue of respect for all cultural backgrounds, it also proved just how the mind can be manipulated based on outside sources. Regardless of if it is a test or not, these moments will come up in your life where you will question yourself. While I think constant questioning and self-improvement is important in your evolutionary process, I also think it is important to believe in yourself no matter what any outside source tells you.
When I wasn't done with my multi-cultural children's book, I had plenty of people believing I would fail, never finish, or never do anything with it after it was published. On one hand, there were mini moments of doubt where I worried about why I was spending fourteen hours a day working on a dream when life was going by. I had things I needed to get done but I also knew that this book was something I had dreamed about since I was a young girl and I wasn't going to let someone else dictate as to whether that dream would be a success or failure—only I could do that for myself. When I did finally get it published I found myself thinking, 'Ha! I was right!' I believed in myself and that was what took me through. Then I looked at what I had just accomplished and realized it was far greater than just publishing my book. I followed a dream regardless of what other people told me and those who had supported me all along the way, I knew that with their support I got through the rough patches and made it to my next plateau.
If you are having trouble with self-esteem and confidence look at what negative voices are surrounding you, telling you that you are no go, not smart, or that you are unable to achieve your goals.
Are they your friends? Are they someone you should be looking up to? Do they care? Surround yourself with people who support your dreams and remember to believe. Jane Elliot taught a valuable lesson surrounding this issue and I hope you will take this study and my words to heart.
For more on Jane Elliot's Brown Eye, Blue Eye study check out her website: http://www.neatorama.com/2009/03/27/jane-elliotts-blue-eyesbrown-eyes-experiment-on-racism/
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Tasha Ina Church
Tasha Ina Church
*Twitter: @TashaInaChurch
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