Consider the following contrasts:
The self-esteem dogma: You cannot love anyone until you love yourself.
God’s doctrine: You cannot love anyone (with full-blown charity) until you love God.
The self-esteem dogma: When you love yourself, then you can be of service.
God’s doctrine: When you forget yourself, then you can be of service.
The self-esteem dogma: Remember your great worth.
God’s doctrine: Remember God’s goodness and the great worth of all souls to the Father of All.
Self-esteem is simply Satan’s attempt to clean up pride and make it respectable, even desirable. The spiritually mature recognize that the world’s version of self-esteem is dangerously close to narcissism, self-centeredness, self-righteousness, and arrogance.