Self-enhancers see themselves in a more favorable light than they see others and describe themselves more favorably than others describe them. Not surprisingly then, a recent classroom exercise at Brown University showed that all students expected to do better in the midterm exam than most of their classmates. Another method of self-enhancement is to overestimate the desirability of one's own traits. People who concede to be selfish, for example, consider selfishness to be less undesirable than people who claim not to be selfish. Again, this bias does not depend on the social desirability of the trait.
Kind people consider kindness to be more desirable than unkind people do.
High self-esteemers and narcissists are most likely to overestimate their own accomplishments and overvalue their own traits. These findings question a uniformly positive interpretation of self-esteem. Self-esteem does not produce the desirable outcomes individuals and societies hope for. Understandably, the quest for high self-esteem will remain a priority for many of those who do not have it. For better or for worse, however, this goal is already realized for most people.