People who score low on inventories of depression tend to rank themselves as having a stronger sense of ethics than most others and as being more creative, imaginative and intelligent. On an individual basis, this kind of self-evaluation may or may not be realistic. Researchers M. Coltheart, E. Hull, and D. Slater found that men were quicker and more accurate at the latter task, women quicker and more accurate at the former. This supports the generalization that women tend to be better at verbal skills, while men tend to be better at spatial skills. Well-adjusted people tend not to focus on negative aspects of themselves to begin with.
Depressed people tend to have a more even-handed view of themselves and others.
Most people characterize themselves as oriented more toward the future than the past, believing that the future will be better. There's really no way to know whether such beliefs are justified, but it's pretty clear that many of us are not facing reality. Far fewer people believe that they'll ever be in a serious automobile accident, or be a victim of violent crime, than statistics indicate is realistic. People with mild depression and low self-esteem tend to have views of their prospects more in line with statistics. They also tend to be more sober and analytical about their future.