Marie-Louise von Franz

On self-worth/esteem from the book The Way of the Dream

"Well the difficulty is that nobody has by nature a very good estimation of his own value. Nobody knows how much or how little he or she is worth. I mean, ask anybody, "Now, honestly, are you a great person or are you a small person? How small or how great are you compared to others?" Anybody would have to admit that he has no idea. It is a subjective feeling. Either one has an inferiority feeling and feels oneself the least worm on earth, or one has a superiority complex and feels oneself elected far above the average. Most people switch back and forth between these two..............Any lack of balance in this respect, either too far below or too far above the mark has an irritating effect upon the surroundings.