The moment we begin to become conscious of the world around us we begin to learn from it, taking in information and processing it as best we can. We learn what it is that we want most from life: to survive, to be safe, to be comfortable, to love. Just as we learn from the world around us so are we taught by society. In relation to what we learn from the world, we’re all being taught two things by society: how to view things negatively and that the best way to attain those things we most want is to take them from someone else. How is it that society is able to so effectively instill such ideals? Low self-esteem, we are taught how to hate ourselves and form prejudices about others in order to share the hate. Then we are taught that the only way to move upwards in society is to put others down, the idea that a life of liberty and happiness is also a life of competition is the idea being sold everywhere. We’re already buying in as young as 4 or 5 years old, we learn naturally, but then we are taught improperly.
Social norms are taught and learned in order to satisfy social imperative and though this is a necessary process, the ramifications that can be associated are often overlooked. We aren’t taught about ways we can personally succeed as much as we are taught about how we can be failures. There is constant pressure to not be one of those failures, the ones who don’t reach societal standards, who don’t fit social norms, who break from social constructs; these social pressures are meant to crush us down into someone who fits an acceptable archetype. Pursuing a sense of individualism and personal happiness is often looked down upon and stigmatized, it’s almost considered a moral crime to be proud of yourself. When properly harnessed overconfidence allows an individual to meet their greatest potential but instead terms such as egomaniac or cocky are used to assign a negative label to someone with such high self-esteem; instead of trying to find proper ways to manage high self-esteem we demonize it until it disappears. It feels easier to fall in line with what others expect of you because of a fear of failure, but this eventually results in a deficit of happiness and self-worth. Low self-esteem, once it finds its way into the mind, is a difficult thing to overcome.
So how is it that we combat this low self-esteem that is forced upon us? We teach it to someone else, that’s the solution given to us by society. This is how the “Pyramid” is built, if an individual falls short of standards set in place by society, they are made to feel bad about them self for it. The problem grows when we are then taught that if someone else feels even worse about them self, then we have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. This is the lie that turns one person’s low self-esteem into at least two people’s and it continues to build on itself from there. What we have here is a highly effective business model in which the consumer sells the product for the business. We, the individuals, are the consumers, low self-esteem is the product, and society is in business, but this model yields no positive returns for the majority of us.
So why is it that this system is so firmly in place? This has been the status quo throughout history, creating systems of oppression as a means of controlling the balance of power in society. A self-hating individual is easier to control and once that control is established, power can be distributed in a society based on social class and standing. By causing individuals to devalue themselves is to take their power to achieve beyond certain expectations. We are taught to only achieve as highly as society says we should because we have little sense of self-worth beyond what we are given. A black man is fed ideas that the greatest symbols of success for him are NBA player or rapper, so why would he strive for more? A woman isn’t only paid 79 cents to every male dollar, she is taught to devalue herself so that the system of oppression isn’t apparent to her, it just seems normal. Situations like this are entirely too common and it’s evidence that the system is working all too well.
I believe the root of society’s greatest problems stems from this system, the Pyramid Scheme of Self-Esteem. What does this system yield for us? Emphasis on criticism that teaches us to try and avoid negative outcomes instead of seeking positive ones. Instilling a lack of confidence in one’s abilities leading to widespread wasted potential and self-devaluation. Self-hate that grows into hate for others that then grows into a cycle of hatred.The perpetuation of systems of oppression leading to imbalances in social power. It’s time to change the system, time to stop destroying ourselves and others because it’s the status quo. Let’s stop building this pyramid and instead, start building everyone up.
Jameson's Brain 