Tag Archives: self-esteem

A bit of psychology: The Terror Management Theory of Self-esteem

The Terror Management theory of self-esteem is an interesting concept. Human behavior, it says, is motivated by the awareness that death is inevitable. The tension — that we want to live and that we will all die one day –creates anxiety. Therefore, we need self-esteem as it serves as a buffer—it helps us to decrease the terror and to alleviate the fear of demise, which otherwise “paralyzes” and prevents us from pursuing our life goals.