Surprising Things That Can Boost Your Self-Esteem
Scientists found that more of us would rather get an ego boost than have sex. These confidence-builders get you your fix when you need it—so you can boldly move on.
By Jena Pincott
Some Really Good Scuttlebutt
Go ahead, spread some juicy gossip about someone you know. It'll make you feel better about yourself. But there's a condition: no bad-mouthing. A study at England's Staffordshire University found that when volunteers spread kind gossip about fictional others ("You'd never know she's actually a genius at coding"), they immediately experienced a feel-good jolt and a slight but significant (5 percent) increase in self-esteem. (Meanwhile, spreading mean-spirited rumors led them to feel a 34 percent increase in negative emotions.)
Published 09/04/2013