To be honest, there are something in life that come very easily for me. Academically speaking, I do not have to try very hard to do well in most liberal arts classes. I haven't even opened my sociology text book more than three times this term and I will probably get a good grade in the class. Some things I am bad at include learning languages and most mathematical subjects. I know that I'm just bad at math, and I cannot really do anything about it. However, I'm sure that if I tried harder with language, I can be proficient in at least one other than English. My point is that even if something doesn't come easily, it doesn't mean that your stupid, or slow, just that you need to work a little more than you are perhaps used to, it's not a bad thing, just a thing. It's also hard to do.
I never thought of myself as having especially high self esteem. I berate myself, put myself down, and am generally self deprecating when the mood strikes, just like anyone else. However, I try to be honest with myself as much as possible. I have a few friends who it is truly hard to listen to sometimes, painful, to hear them be so incredibly down on themselves. I really do not understand it. Most of my friends, if not all, and incredibly smart people, all in their own ways. I hate when they tell me things like, "I'm ugly, I'm stupid, I can't do anything right." Most usually, it's not even true. People need to adjust their attitudes and opinions of themselves. I've noticed that the smarter a person is the more neurotic, more self deprecating, and more down on themselves they are; especially if they're Jewish (I'm Jewish I can say that :-). So basically, the less you think of yourself, the smarter you are. That is said in a jocular manner, however there is a grain of truth in it.
Ok, so I said I was honest with myself, here is what I think: I try not to lie to myself, as much as humanly possible. I think I am not the prettiest person on the planet, but I'm not hideous either. I'm intelligent but somewhat lazy. I don't like working hard, but it depends on what I'm doing. I don't like joining things or being around a lot of people, which can be a downfall. At the moment I am incredibly conflicted about my life, I don't know what I want to do. I think people should go to college, but I don't think it's right for everybody, and I might be one of those people. I'm a mass of contradictions, I know. I see very little point in life, which I hope is something I get over soon. I don't trust doctors, I believe in ghosts, and I think that homoeopathy works.
My point is that everybody is different. Everyone has their own little idiosyncrasies, nobody is perfect. I just don't like people being self deprecating, it's a waste of time, and very often peoples self image of themselves is faulty anyway. So there!