Today discusses a new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that found people with low self-esteem don’t like it when people try to make them feel better. Study lead author Dr. Denise Marigold of the University of Waterloo told Today, “What we think is well-intentioned support is really alienating for them. They feel as if people don’t understand their issues and don’t accept their feelings. It almost demonstrates a lack of caring.”
Stop cheering me up: Some people don’t want to hear it (Today, June 25, 2014)
You can’t always give what you want: The challenge of providing social support to low self-esteem individuals (Marigold, Denise C. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 107(1), Jul 2014, 56-80. doi: 10.1037/a0036554)
