Self Worth

If a person, who typically seems calm and collected, becomes emotional and reacts in a defensive, angry manner when you give the person any form of criticism, even if it is just perceived criticism, you have likely challenged an area of that person's self worth.

Example: A person who has dedicated their life to the study of piano for 20 years, but messes up an important piece in front of professors at Juilliard may take it very personal after reflecting or being told by the judges that he/she failed.

Example 2:  A man married with 3 kids who gets fired comes home and yells at his wife when she politely asks if they can afford to buy milk.

When our self worth is placed in what we are capable of doing or how well we provide, 1of 3 reactions typically follow.

1.  Anxiety - "Am I really any good at playing piano?  If not, what do I have left?"

2.  Guilt - "If I can't provide for my family I am not worth anything to anyone. I'm useless."

3.  Resentment - "How dare you say Anything other than I'm a great pianist." "How dare you question if I can keep food and milk in our refrigerator."

Our self-worth is so fragile.  If we continue to get our worth from wrong belief systems of what we have to offer we get trapped in a roller coaster of emotions and we are tossed around like waves by always seeking the approval of others.  So I will ask the question that relates to my scientific mind.  Everything in nature has a constant, so why should we question if there is a source in life in which we should draw our worth from that remains constant? One that remains perfect even if our minds are unable to do so?

I can believe gasoline will not make my car run, but that doesn't make it less true.  Gasoline is a constant that will remain the main source of fuel for my car until the car is destroyed and my beliefs have no say in it.

What I believe isn't going to correct 100% of the time or, in my case, even 50% of time, but it seems like constants exist in every aspect of science/life and yet we don't seem to recognize this in our emotional/spiritual lives.  So that leaves me with asking the question again.  Is there a constant in which all people should get their worth?  I think so, but I've beaten a dead horse on where I stand on this so I don't even need to mention what I believe that source to be.