The Quest For Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is in no way something only irrational, selfish, or shallow people seek after.  It is nothing more than the general state of approving of oneself, which can be manifested in more precise ways like positive emotions towards oneself or by achieving contentment about one's life circumstances or abilities.  However, there is nothing deeper than the necessary truths of logical axioms at the foundation of all reality and possibility, and thus nothing could matter more or even as much as these logical truths.  Either something matters, in which case logic has to matter as well since it is what dictates the truth about itself and everything else, or nothing matters, no matter how strongly or personally someone longs otherwise.  Self-esteem, then, cannot possibly be something that is rational or morally good to pursue in itself, but only in relation to things that are more fundamental and serious.

Most people routinely act as if what they are really after is nothing more than to feel good about themselves in the moment, no matter what they believe or why, no matter how apathetic towards matters of logical necessity they are, and no matter what they have done or still do to other people.  The quest for self-esteem is shared by many people, but only a few, whether or not they actively strive for this introspective contentment or approval, are really worthy of it.  What if someone feels good about himself or herself even if they believe that the self-verifying intrinsic truths of logical axioms are false, or that some heinous evil is permissible if only it is convenient for them?  What of all the slaves to assumptions and hypocrisies that are too stupid to know their left hand from their right hand?

Pragmatism and emotionalism (which is not emotion itself, but a philosophical approach to emotion) are invalid by default because they do not make things true; anyone's feelings of attachment to these ideas are objectively meaningless, and their beliefs reducing down to emotional persuasion are inherently meaningless either way.  With or without any sort of moral significance to necessary truths and knowledge of them, non-rationalists are insects who are beneath even the newest, most overwhelmed rationalists.  Too irrational, desperate, and ideologically superficial (which is itself a subcategory of irrationality) to bear living like they are not as intelligent or morally upright as they wish themselves to be, they settle for self-esteem devoid of the only qualities that could make it objectively good, and even more deeply, in alignment with the necessary truths that remain the heart of reality with or without a moral layer to reality.

You cannot deserve to be or feel happy, content with yourself, or believe false things about yourself because you want to.  This is nothing but the erroneous philosophy of emotionalistic subjectivism that is adhered to only by fools.  There is literally nothing else to base your worldview and life on other than reason besides assumptions or falsities you have already identified, and yet reason is true in spite of all the denial, ignorance, and apathy of non-rationalists combined.  Non-rationalists cannot even understand self-esteem itself as it truly is in the fullest sense because they have never abandoned assumptions, sought absolute certainty and necessary truths, and then refused to allow emotional excitement or peace to decide what they believe.  They believe things about self-esteem and more on the basis of assumptions, cultural pressures, emotional appeal, and subjective persuasion.  For this, they cannot find rationalistic peace and the deepest kind of self-esteem that can only come from knowing, savoring, and living for the truths of rationalism.