Self-Esteem Quiz: How Is Your Self-Esteem?

Let’s Get Started

Please read each statement and decide which option indicates how much the statement applies to you over the past 3 months. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any statement. Items should be answered without overthinking — your gut response should be what you put down.

Disclaimer: This quiz is intended as an educational tool and does not diagnose any type of health or mental health condition.

1. I look to others’ opinions to make sure I’m making the right decision.

Never Sometimes Often Always

2. Life is harder for me than most other people.

Never Sometimes Often Always

3. I like who I am as a person.

Never Sometimes Often Always

4. I’m a worthwhile person.

Never Sometimes Often Always

5. I feel others value my thoughts and opinions.

Never Sometimes Often Always

6. Socializing with others is easy.

Never Sometimes Often Always

7. I am concerned about my appearance and what others think of it.

Never Sometimes Often Always

8. I’m not good enough.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

9. I find it difficult to accept praise or compliments.

Never Sometimes Often Always

10. I’m boring to talk to.

Never Sometimes Often Always

11. I hold myself to higher standards than I do others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

12. I avoid voicing my opinions and feelings in group settings.

Never Sometimes Often Always

13. I’m afraid of letting people down.

Never Sometimes Often Always

14. I felt inferior as a child.

Never Sometimes Often Always

15. I procrastinate or avoid doing things because I’m afraid of failing.

Never Sometimes Often Always

16. I had a difficult or dysfunctional childhood.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

17. People won’t help me if I need it.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

18. I’m afraid of my mistakes being seen and pointed out by others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

19. I’ll avoid doing certain things alone (e.g. going to the movies, eating at a restaurant).

Never Sometimes Often Always

20. I get defensive when someone gives me feedback.

Never Sometimes Often Always

21. I only believe I’ve done well if someone else acknowledges it.

Never Sometimes Often Always

22. I make decisions based on what pleases others, without considering my preferences.

Never Sometimes Often Always

23. I’ll lie to avoid criticism, rejection, confrontation, or conflict.

Never Sometimes Often Always

24. I’m easily discouraged by less than favorable feedback.

Never Sometimes Often Always

25. I’m sensitive to criticism.

Never Sometimes Often Always

26. I have many good qualities.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

27. It’s hard for me to know who and when to trust others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

28. I feel inferior to others somehow.

Never Sometimes Often Always

29. I worry about saying or doing the wrong thing in front of others.

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Never Sometimes Often Always

30. I’m a disappointment.

Never Sometimes Often Always

31. I mess things up.

Never Sometimes Often Always

32. I need and seek reassurance from others to make sure they still care about me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

33. I minimize my successes and maximize my failures.

Never Sometimes Often Always

34. I compare myself to others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

35. I’m easily embarrassed.

Never Sometimes Often Always

36. I feel offended or upset when someone criticizes or rejects my ideas.

Never Sometimes Often Always

37. I won’t follow through if it can’t be done perfectly.

Never Sometimes Often Always

38. People will only respect me if I’m attractive and/or successful.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

39. I won’t amount to anything in my life.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

40. I need validation from others to feel good about myself.

Never Sometimes Often Always

41. It takes a lot of effort to make and keep friends.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

42. I need to prove I’m worth someone’s love and respect.

Never Sometimes Often Always

43. People don’t like me when I’m being myself.

Strongly Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly Agree Strongly Agree

44. Either I overshare or say nothing at all when I’m around others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

45. I worry that others will mistreat or take advantage of me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

46. I avoid disagreeing with people so they continue to like me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

47. I’m a failure.

Never Sometimes Often Always

48. I’m afraid of my mistakes being seen and pointed out by others.

Never Sometimes Often Always

49. I worry that people will turn against me or reject me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

50. I’ll avoid situations where I may feel uncomfortable, or look stupid or incompetent.

Never Sometimes Often Always

51. I’m afraid I’ll be ridiculed in public.

Never Sometimes Often Always

⚠️ Please answer all 51 questions before submitting.

Thanks for completing the Self-Esteem Quiz.

We appreciate your time and effort.

Remember: This quiz is intended as an educational tool and does not diagnose any type of health or mental health condition. If you have questions about your results or are interested in starting therapy, please speak with a qualified mental health professional.

The Workbook That Helps Clients Actually Challenge Their Inner Critic

Low self-esteem often isn’t just a belief problem—it’s a deeply ingrained pattern of self-talk that’s been reinforced for years. Most people know intellectually what they should think about themselves, but their nervous system hasn’t caught up yet, which is why generic affirmations rarely stick.

What works

Provides structured exercises that separate your observations about yourself from the distorted narratives you’ve built around them—clients report this distinction alone is clarifying enough to shift something.
Built on cognitive-behavioral principles that don’t require you to “believe” in yourself first; it works by changing the thinking patterns themselves, which then changes how you feel about yourself over time.
Includes guided worksheets you actually complete (not just read), which means your brain is doing the rewiring work rather than you passively absorbing information.

What doesn’t

If your self-esteem struggles are rooted in trauma or complex attachment patterns, this workbook alone won’t resolve those—it’s a skill-building tool, not a replacement for therapy when deeper relational wounds are present.
Requires genuine commitment to actually work through the exercises rather than just reading them; people who approach it as a quick fix often abandon it after a week or two.

I sometimes worry that workbooks can feel too mechanical for people who need more compassion-based approaches first—but the ones who do engage with this one consistently report that the structure actually becomes the compassion, because it finally gives them permission to question the voice telling them they’re not good enough.

About This Article

Written by Sarah Mitchell. Sarah Mitchell isn't a therapist. She got interested in how the mind works after her own struggle with anxiety in her twenties, and has spent 16 years since then reading and personally testing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and attachment-based approaches. Her writing combines that research with genuine compassion for how hard mental health struggles actually are. More about this site.

Scope and limits. Sarah is not a licensed therapist or clinician, and nothing here is a substitute for care. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.