HT Mockingbird: Psychology Today: The Self-esteem trap--The Boom and Bust Ego

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201205/the-self-esteem-trap/the-boom-and-bust-ego

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201205/the-self-esteem-trap/the-boom-and-bust-ego?page=2

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201205/the-self-esteem-trap/the-boom-and-bust-ego?page=3

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201205/the-self-esteem-trap/the-boom-and-bust-ego?page=4

Of course it's inevitable in an article discussing the dangers of high self-esteem that Roy Baumeister's work.  Baumeister's research led to a complete reversal on Baumeister's part about the idea that violence and aggression are motivated by low self-esteem.  He concluded the opposite is true, that the most violent and aggressive people have a very high self-esteem that is not backed up by the assessment of others. Who's going to be the biggest bully?  The guy (and it's almost invariably a guy historically) who thinks he's hot stuff but who can't back up his self-identified reputation.  When is he most likely to be violent in word or deed?  When his ego is threatened.