Self-esteem

This video, suggested by a friend who is too lazy to have his own blog (hi, A.!), aroused my interest on a couple of levels. First, I liked the barely disguised rhetorical devices the guy uses -I like it when something is so in your face that it is simple enough for me to comment on. The repetition of some ideas and words for effect, hands-on analogies, and humour have been devised to drive the point home. Second, it seems to me the speaker is just talking common sense -praise your kid, make them feel loved, and stand up to his bullies.

Perhaps he is laying it on thick on the building of a strong self-image, which I am not that sure it is an absolute value. After all, we can all name a few assholes who are lacking in everything but self-esteem. For instance, the bully in The In-Betweeners seems to have a lot of that, which does not make him lovable in the least. Not even in an American show would bullies engage the audience, however strong their self-esteem was. The audience sometimes roots for the losers or, at least, the underdogs. Sorry I gave this post a TV twist, but if A. can't be bothered to post this in a blog of his own, this is the price he'll have to pay.