In this lecture by Nathaniel Branden given on 23 November 1996 before the California Institute for Applied Objectivism, the late psychotherapist and theorist discusses the past and future of the ...philosophy of Ayn Rand, with which he was associated for many years. The lecture and question- answer session were transcribed by Roger E. Bissell from the recording made by Joshua Zader, currently President and Lead Developer of Atlas Web Development (http://www.atlaswebdev.com). Leigh Branden, the executor of Nathaniel Branden's estate, has graciously given permission to The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies to publish this material for the first time.
Self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and of being worthy of happiness. It consists of 2 components: self efficacy and self-respect. The basic ...challenges of life include: being able to earn a living and take independent care of oneself in the world, being competent in human relationships, and having the resilience that allows one to bounce back from adversity and persevere in one's aspirations. High self-esteem seeks the challenge and stimulation of worthwhile and demanding goals. Reaching such goals nurtures good self-esteem. Low self-esteem seeks the safety of the familiar and undemanding. There are 6 pillars upon which healthy self-esteem depends: 1. living consciously, 2. self-acceptance, 3. self-responsibility, 4. self-assertiveness, 5. living purposefully, and 6. personal integrity.
We shall be dealing here with what I first called the Muttnik Principle and later, more formally, called the Principle of Psychological Visibility. An intense experience of mutual psychological ...visibility is, as we shall see, at the very center of romantic love. Let us see what this means and how and why it is so.
One afternoon in tg6o, while sifting alone in the living room of my apartment, I found myself contemplating with pleasure a large philodendron plant standing against a wall. It was a pleasure I had experienced before, but suddenly it occurred to me to wonder: What
By "self-esteem" is meant more than an innate sense of self-worth that presumably is a human birthright. Self-esteem is individuals' experience that they are appropriate to life and to the ...requirements of life. More specifically, self-esteem is confidence in the ability to think; confidence in the ability to cope with the challenges of life; and confidence in the right to be happy, the feeling of being worthy, deserving, entitled to assert one's needs and wants and to enjoy the fruits of one's efforts. Self-esteem is not a free gift, but a possession over time which represents an achievement. To say that self-esteem is a basic human need is to say that it makes an essential contribution to the life process; that it is indispensable to normal and healthy development; and that it has survival-value. If individuals do not believe in themselves the universe is a frightening place. The change from a manufacturing society to an information society and other social changes create demands for higher levels of education and training than were required of previous generations. These developments also create new demands on psychological resources. Persons possessing a decent level of self-esteem are now needed economically in large numbers. The virtues that self-esteem asks of individuals are also ones that life asks of individuals. (ABL)
Branden believes that a culture of self-responsibility is the only chance the US has to create a decent world. If the culture upholds the principle that one is responsible for one's actions and the ...fulfillment of one's desires, and if coercion is not an option, then the US has the best possible context for the triumph of community, benevolence, and mutual esteem.
