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It is a mistake to look at someone who is self assertive and say, "It's easy for her, she has good self-esteem." One of the ways you build self-esteem is by being self-assertive when it is not easy to do so. There are always times when self-assertiven ess requires courage, no matter how high your self-esteem.
Nathaniel Branden
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Self-assertiveness is key to building self-esteem, despite its challenges.

This quote emphasizes that being self-assertive is a vital part of developing self-esteem, and that it often requires courage, especially in difficult situations. It challenges the assumption that self-assertive individuals find it easy, highlighting that the act itself can be daunting, and that facing those challenges helps to cultivate a stronger sense of self-worth.

Themes

Self-AssertivenessSelf-EsteemCourageConfidencePersonal Growth

In practice

Example use cases

During a workshop on self-improvement, one might say this quote to illustrate the importance of stepping outside one's comfort zone.

More from Nathaniel Branden

Living consciously is seeking to be aware of everything that bears on our interests, actions, values, purposes, and goals. It is the willingness to confront facts, pleasant or unpleasant. It is the desire to discover our mistakes and correct them . . . it is the quest to keep expanding our awareness and understanding, both of the world external to self and the world within.
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If you are an adult, you are responsible for your life and well-being. No one owes you the fulfillment of your needs or wants; no one is here on earth to serve you. If you respect the principle of self-ownership, you understand that no one else owns you and that you do not own anyone else. Only on this understanding can there be peace on earth and good will among human beings.
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Living consciously reflects the conviction that sight is preferable to blindness; that respecting the facts of reality is more satisfying than denying them; that evasion does not make the unreal real or the real unreal; that it is better to correct your mistakes that to pretend they do not exist; and that the more conscious you are of facts bearing on your life and goals, the more wisely and effectively you can act.
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One of the hardest expressions of self-assertiveness is challenging your limiting beliefs.
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How do we keep our inner fire alive? Two things, at minimum, are needed: an ability to appreciate the positives in our life – and a commitment to action. Every day, it's important to ask and answer these questions: ‘What's good in my life?’ and ‘What needs to be done?
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To love is to see myself in you and to wish to celebrate myself with you. What I love is the embodiment of my values in another person. Love is an act of self-assertion, self-expression and a celebration of being alive.
Nathaniel BrandenRead

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