Self-Esteem and Confidence

An eager young kindergarten student raises his hand. "The answer is five!" he exclaims. The teacher applauds the student for his attempt, although the correct answer is four. The teacher rewards him with a sticker, assuring him of his wonderful job. The child's self-esteem is boosted by all the praise; it does not matter to him that his answer was incorrect. He will continue to believe that he is a competent student, while in reality he might be quite the opposite. This type of situation highlights the differences between the words "self-esteem" and "confidence": …