Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, is highly regarded for his life spent fighting race hatred.

On becoming President, he said, “The task at hand will not be easy. But you have mandated us to change South Africa from a country where the majority lived with little hope, to one where they can live and work with dignity, with a sense of self-esteem and confidence in the future.”

No doubt his words were applauded. But were they right?

Is self-esteem the secret to a better future?

Self-esteem will, without doubt, increase our “confidence in the future”. But sometimes confidence can be misplaced.

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Self-esteem is, at best, a two-edged sword.

Research shows that the very persons who do acts of race-hatred typically have high self-esteem.

The researchers comment that:

“The pursuit of self-esteem has short-term benefits, but long-term costs — ultimately diverting people away from fulfilling their fundamental needs . . . self-esteem isn’t really worth the effort.  Self-control is much more powerful.”   (www.racematters.org/deflatingselfesteemsrole.htm)

Does not everything good in your life ultimately derive from outside yourself? Pride (self-esteem) is out of place, inappropriate, not very honest.

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Today’s gospel in traditional Catholic churches is a story Jesus told showing what he thinks about self-esteem:

Two men went up into the temple to pray: one a Pharisee, the other a publican.  The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus with himself: ‘I thank you God, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. I fast twice in a week: I pay tithes of all that I possess.’

The publican, standing afar off, would not even lift his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

This man, I tell you, went down into his house justified rather than the other. Everyone who exalts himself, shall be humbled: and he who humbles himself, shall be exalted. (Luke’s gospel, chapter 18)

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If you do something good, be pleased about it.

Just as pleased as if somebody else had done it.

Be pleased because it is pleasing to God.

If you receive credit for some good act, be aware that without God’s help you could not, would not, have done it.