How Long Can You Stand in Front of the Mirror

What's the measure of a person's self esteem?  The kind of clothes you wear?  What jobs you apply for?  Being able to walk up to someone and ask them out on a date?  Self esteem is defined as, the realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself.

I'd like to suggest that the most realistic measure of a person's self esteem is to see how long they can stand alone in front of a full length mirror without critiquing, picking out flaws, or grimacing.  With the caveat that you're completely naked with no makeup on and un-styled hair.  Laying yourself bare for another person is relatively easy to laying yourself bare in the mirror.  The average person rarely sees their body nude.  You hop in the shower then hop back out and you might glance at the mirror before you wrap a towel around yourself.

As for myself I can't stand looking at myself for longer than a couple seconds before I start honing in on those 'trouble spots' and imperfections and start inwardly grimacing.  Clothes and makeup and well done hair become something of a barrier between us and the 'plain and boring' person in the mirror.

Self esteem does not begin and end with our looks.  It's a much deeper issue.  Secretly loathing your body or the kind of person you believe yourself to be does nothing but harm every relationship you have.  Being able to stand in front of a mirror and look yourself in the eye, for the choices you've made, for what  you said that day, for what your body looks like, and not turn away is one of the absolute best things you can do for your psyche.  When you are struggling with a bad self esteem day take a moment and think about yourself from the point of those who love you.  You'll get a much clearer indication of yourself when you are standing naked in front of your partner than you will looking in the mirror.