When self-esteem is discussed in circles of professional psychology or on talk shows, sin and virtue are almost never mentioned as factors. In fact, if someone dares to bring it up as having anything to do with self-esteem, he is usually labeled a Fundamentalist wacko. This should strike any intelligent person as odd, since it is obvious to anyone who has ever been in a state of sin that moral character has a dramatic effect on how someone feels about himself.
Regarding the nature of sin, paragraph 387 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
“Only the light of divine Revelation clarifies the reality of sin and particularly of the sin committed at mankind’s origins. Without the knowledge Revelation gives of God, we cannot recognize sin clearly and are tempted to explain it as merely a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure, et cetera. Only in the knowledge of God’s plan for man can we grasp that sin is an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another.”
For starters, let’s address the issue of sin being an abuse of freedom. Because we tend to think of sin as merely the breaking of a rule or a social moray, we tend to see sin itself as a sort of freedom or rebellion against onerous laws. Such thinking, because it lacks the light of divine revelation, betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature. It is only acting in accordance to his nature that man finds his freedom.
Sin is an abuse of freedom because it is wound to human nature. This wound, inherited from the Fall of Adam and Eve, is the stain of original sin. Because original sin is inherited by all of humanity, the sins we commit affect us not only as individuals but have an effect on everyone else as well. The whole of humanity can be best understood in terms of a body: What is done to one part of the body affects the whole. Just as smashing a toe or a finger adversely affects the rest of the body (e.g., increased heart rate, blood pressure, stress level), sin adversely affects the body of humanity. In light of this reality, it is clear that a healthy sense of self-worth—that is to say, self-esteem—is not compatible with grave, unrepented sin. No amount of psychobabble can change that.
What we are referring to here is a uniformly positive self-image. That is not compatible with sin. However, a healthy sense of self-worth or self-esteem is not incompatible with sin. You may recognize that there is sin in your life and that it must be overcome, but you will not be so unaware of your own self-worth that you go out and kill yourself out of despair. Healthy self-image recognizes both the flaws you have and the good qualities and dignity that God has given you and that make you worth saving.
Psychology can be an indispensable aid in understanding the human condition, but when it is uncoupled from the objective truth about the human person made in the image and likeness of God and used as a political and ideological play toy (as is the case in many quarters of the psychology profession today), it becomes a weapon aimed at those it is supposed to help.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking sin is a part of man’s original nature. But since sin is a wound to human nature, it must be understood that any wound to any living organism, even though the wound may be deep and penetrating, is not part of the organism’s natural state. There’s a line in the movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon, which portrays the early life of Francis of Assisi, where Francis is received in audience by Pope Innocent III. The Pope says to Francis, “In our obsession with original sin we often lose sight of original innocence.”
Whether or not Pope Innocent III actually said that I don’t know, but it does point out a fundamental truth about the original human condition. To the extent we lose sight of our original innocence we lose sight of God who is Creator and Innocence himself, and it was in this innocence we were created. This is the foundation of our humanity. Understanding this is a necessary first step in understanding virtue. The Catechism defines virtue as “a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions” (CCC 1803).
In other words, the cultivation of virtue is nothing less than the human person, who is made in the image of almighty God, becoming precisely what God wants him to be. In light of this, it would stand to reason that true self-esteem can only be achieved in the cultivation of virtue.
Just as sin has an adverse effect on the body of humanity, virtue has just the opposite effect. St. John Chrysostom put it this way:
“For proof that this brings the greatest risk to those who provide others with an occasion of blasphemy, let us listen to the prophet’s cry when he speaks as God’s mouthpiece: ‘Alas for you: it is your fault that my name is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles.’ That’s a fearful statement, fraught with terror. That is to say, ‘Alas’ is like the cry of someone lamenting the fate of people heading for that inescapable punishment. In other words, just as this kind of retribution awaits those who through their own indifference bear the responsibility for blasphemy, likewise, on the hand, there are grounds for awarding a thousand laurels to those who show a care for virtue. This is the very lesson Christ gave us in saying, ‘Let your light shine in people’s presence so that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven’ (Matt.5:16). That is, just as people are scandalized by the indifference of some of us and direct the edge of their tongue against our Lord, so [Christ is saying] when you practice virtue and people see you, they do not at praise of you; instead, when they see your good deeds shining and lighting up your face, they are moved to praise of your Father in heaven. When this happens in their case, we are in our turn amply rewarded, and over and above their praise the Lord bestows on us countless good things: ‘Those giving glory to me I myself will glorify’ (1 Sam. 2:30), he says” (Daily Readings from the Writings of St. John Chrysostom, Light and Life Publishing Co., day 78).
By acting in a manner that elicits others to praise our Father in heaven, we are inspiring them to praise the very source of their own lives where they are to find their sense of self-worth—that is to say, self-esteem. A modern example of this was the respect and reverence that many in the secular world had for Mother Teresa and what she stood for, despite their anti-religious hostilities and prejudices.
It is crucial that this be understood, particularly in light of the fact that although original sin is removed with baptism, we struggle with the stain of it throughout our earthly life. Paul expresses the struggle this way: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me” (Romans 7:14–20).
Here Paul describes what every man wounded by sin, but striving for virtue, encounters. In this acceptance of the difficult truth of the mystery of evil within ourselves along with the desire for what is good, we find the courage to face down the demons of our own cowardice. In our pursuit of virtue amidst our struggle with sin, the paradoxical words of the Easter liturgy—”O happy fault . . . which gained us such a great a Redeemer”—become more meaningful. It is Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who in the fullness of divinity and in the perfection of humanity simultaneously sympathizes with our weaknesses and challenges us to rise above them toward the fullness of our own humanity. Our answer to this call is the true source of self-esteem.