Self-Esteem Research, Theory, and Practice Toward a Positive ...

164 SELF-ESTEEM RESEARCH, THEORY, AND PRACTICEdramatically under certain conditions. For example, having their abilitiesquestioned, their work seriously criticized, or their project fail is destabilizingenough to evoke defensive reactions, just as we saw with the oppositeset of self-esteem dynamics. Depending on degree and circumstance,these reactions are minor ones, such as making downward social comparisonsor deriding detractors (Crocker & Park, 2003). But at othertimes the degree of fragility is great enough to shatter the veneer of highself-esteem and evoke more aggressive reactions in an attempt to get whatone wants or to push a sense of failure away. Baumeister and colleagues(1996) examined this dark aspect of high self-esteem and even discussedit in relation to aggression.Perfectionism could also fall under this quadrant insofar as anythingless than perfection is seen as a failure, which, in turn, can generatea high degree of self-criticism. In this case, each flaw and everyfailure can become a threat, which is a painful, but not necessarily clinical,condition. However, as we near the midpoint of this quadrant,such perfectionism becomes clinically severe, as with certain eating disordersthat have been found to be connected to problems with selfesteem(Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger & Vohs, 2003; AmericanPsychiatric Association, 2000; Harter, 1999; Rosenberg & Owen,2001). For example, if the lack of experiencing oneself as a worthy individualis coupled with other unfortunate factors, such as high selfexpectations,critical parents, a certain biological vulnerability, beingyoung, being a female in a society obsessed with weight, being thin, anddieting, then anorexia and related conditions become high risks. Thesame dynamic could apply to the perfectionistic demands of the compulsivepersonality.Antisocial Competence-Based Self-EsteemAt the extreme end of the high-competence low-worthiness range, successbecomes increasingly tied to one’s sense of value or worth.Depending on how clever, creative, or talented one is, an individual mayeven become very good at being successful in any given area. Sometimessuch individuals are quite aggressive, but in socially “acceptable” ways.Examples of such behavior includes business men and women who uncaringlydestroy the careers of others to get to the top, corporate mogulswho succeed at any cost, and power-driven politicians who make unsavorydeals or worse to get their way. When such behavior is exhibited inways that conflict with society’s rules, individuals are said to be acting inan “antisocial” fashion, which is why this term is used to describe theextreme end of this quadrant. Not only does it describe the behavior, butthe term is also meant in the clinical sense. Individuals who deliberately,