Self Worth Theory, An Introduction

Self worth theory"The self-worth theory posits that an individual’s main priority in life is to find self-acceptance and that self-acceptance is often found through achievement (Covington & Beery, 1976). In turn, achievement is often found through competition with others. Jul 4 2019" Reference: positivepsychologyprogram.com/self-worth/

"The effort an individual puts in for the maximisation of academic competence to protect self-worth is often defined as a “double-edged sword”; while it is an essential factor of success, it can also result in feelings of worthlessness and incapability if one fails.[3][5] To avoid the conclusion of incapability and hence maintain self-worth, some students choose to use defensive strategies such as putting in less effort and setting low standards towards the event of evaluation.[1] These strategies, which support the maintenance of self-worth, are called self-handicapping and defensive pessimism respectively. " 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-worth_theory_of_motivation

Self handicapping, what an idea. As a music teacher I've often seen this phenomenon. Students who say they want X and then promptly charge of in the direction of Y.

The video above from Nic Voge outlines "self worth theory" that tries to explain the issue: underachievement as coping strategy to avoid stepping out of our comfort zone. After all, if we are going to reach our potential as musicians dealing with procrastination is paramount. 

Enjoy the video. 

David
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