NurtureShock: Self-Esteem Out of Steam

An interesting article in WSJ on-line today, on "Nurture Shock," a new book about child-rearing. An excerpt:

As [authors] Mr. Bronson and Ms. Merryman remind us, the psychologist Nathaniel Brandon published a path-breaking paper in 1969 called "The Psychology of Self-Esteem" in which he argued that feelings of self-worth were a key to success in life. The theory became a big hit in the nation's schools; in the mid-1980s, the California Legislature even ­established a self-esteem task force. By now, there are 15,000 scholarly articles on the subject.

And what do they show? That high self-esteem doesn't improve grades, reduce ­anti-social behavior, deter alcohol drinking or do much of anything good for kids. In fact, telling kids how smart they are can be ­counterproductive. Many children who are convinced that they are little geniuses tend not to put much effort into their work. Others are troubled by the latent anxiety of adults who feel it necessary to praise them constantly.

The reviewer doesn't get too excited about the book, however:

You might assume from these examples that the ­authors want to make a point about our national ­gullibility in the face of faddish science. Unfortunately, they deconstruct yesterday's wisdom at the same time that they embrace today's—even when research is on the order of "do-we-really-need-a-$50,000-study-to-tell-us-this?" or of dubious practical value. Kids lie, they ­inform us.

Comments

[Bill Daugherty]

Mr. Brandon was Ayn Rand's disciple and successor in the "philosophy of objectivism." A bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

[Gordon]

Also the same Nathanial Brandon "celebrated" in the film "The Passion of Ayn Rand." He and Ayn had an affair in full view of their spouses. Unfortunately, their spouses were weak and lacking "self-esteem," so they were hurt by the affair. If only they'd been raised with sufficient self-esteem!

[Account Deleted]

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