How to develop self confidence and self-esteem - Quora

There is so much emphasis on self-esteem these days and that seems to be a bad thing. Well, at least it has produced some pretty bad results. We seem to have adopted a philosophy that we can imbue children with self-esteem by protecting them from anything, any message or experience, that might trigger bad feelings. Don't keep score while playing games. Don't permit fights, not even in self-defense. Don't fail failing students. Don't reward excellence for fear that others might feel inferior by comparison. When will this madness end?