Stand up for yourself

Stand up for yourself. Submissiveness or taking a low profile is only good if you're supported by a pack of wolves, if you were born that way and don't want to change, or if you're dead. Submissiveness is usually the result of low self-esteem, and if this becomes predominant, it can lead to emotional disorders like depression. Feeling like a social outcast, feeling judged and ostracized, being negatively labeled or treated as an "outsider," one becomes insecure when it comes to dealing with others. We become either too passive or too aggressive in our social interactions. When this happens, we lose our ability to stand up for ourselves, to protect ourselves, or to deal with toxic people in our lives. We become vulnerable to physical abuse and harassment. Research shows that depression is associated with the stress that comes with subordination, diminished self-esteem, harassment or abuse. The best cure for low self-esteem is becoming assertive enough to stand up for ourselves and build a network of supportive people who care. Before this can happen, allowing toxic people in our lives has got to stop. Being supported by others is affirming and it builds confidence, but there is no confidence-builder equal to assertiveness and standing strong. We need to understand and fulfill our basic needs, without disrespecting the rights of others. It's important to stand up for ourselves, or nobody else will.