The bad guys, not the good guys, have high self-esteem. Baumeister, a social scientist at Case Western Reserve University, has studied the relationship between aggression and self-esteem for more than a decade. People with high self-esteem, Baumeister says, are likely to respond aggressively when their inflated view of themselves is threatened by criticism or perceived insult or when someone obstructs their need for gratification.
Gang members have high self-esteem.
So do spouse abusers. The Bible tells us that pride comes before a fall. John Rosemond is a family psychologist.