CFT 412 Chapter Notes - Chapter 19: Narcissism, Cortisol, Amygdala
2 Jun 2018
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Class 19: June 3
Why self
compassion is
healthier than self-
esteem
● In life, there is always someone who is better than us
○ People constantly look for ways to improve themselves
● We live in a highly competitive world where being average is
never good enough
○ Most people feel compelled to create “self enhancement
bias” to puff themselves up
● Narcissism scores went through the roof during the 20 year period
from 1987 to 2006
○ Self-Esteem has been linked to aggression, prejudice and
anger toward those who threaten their self worth
● The best balance between low self-esteem and narcissism is to
have self-compassion
○ Recognizes that the human condition is imperfect
● Being kind to ourselves when life goes awry or we notice
something about ourselves we don’t like
○ Rather than being cold or harshly self-critical
● Self-esteem refers to degree to which we evaluate ourselves
positively
○ Self compassion means that you don’t have to feel better
than others to feel good about yourself
Physiology of Self
Compassion
● People who are compassionate to themselves are much less likely
to be depressed, anxious, and stressed
○ Are much more likely to be happy, resilient, and optimistic
about their future
● When we soothe our own pain we are tapping into the mammalian
caregiving system
○ One important way the caregiving system works is by
triggering the release of oxytocin
● Increased levels of oxytocin strongly increase feelings of trust,
calm, safety, generosity, and connectedness
○ Facilitates the ability to feel warmth and compassion for
ourselves
● Self-criticism has a negative effect on the amygdala which can
activate the fight or flight response
○ When we soothe our painful feelings with healing balm of
self-compassion we’re changing our body chemistry
● An easy way to calm and comfort yourself when you’re feeling
badly is through soothing touch
○ Remember, physical touch releases oxytocin, reduces
cortisol and calms cardiovascular stress.
Self-
● Often times, we treat ourselves in a way that we would never treat
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Document Summary
Why self compassion is healthier than self- esteem. In life, there is always someone who is better than us. People constantly look for ways to improve themselves. We live in a highly competitive world where being average is never good enough. Most people feel compelled to create self enhancement bias to puff themselves up. Narcissism scores went through the roof during the 20 year period from 1987 to 2006. Self-esteem has been linked to aggression, prejudice and anger toward those who threaten their self worth. The best balance between low self-esteem and narcissism is to have self-compassion. Recognizes that the human condition is imperfect. Being kind to ourselves when life goes awry or we notice something about ourselves we don"t like. Rather than being cold or harshly self-critical. Self-esteem refers to degree to which we evaluate ourselves positively. Self compassion means that you don"t have to feel better than others to feel good about yourself.
