if I could give my child no other gift…
if I could give my child no other gift in the world, my choice would be self-esteem without it we wither with it. We thrive
— from Who Is Flying (Self, Nature & Nurture)
In the book
It is, at bottom, your own deepest and quietest verdict on your own worth — and its root is never your trophies or your applause, but something generated inside you, from how you actually live. I have come to believe it is among the greatest gifts a parent can give a child, because without it a person flies a whole life braced for a crash. But be careful what kind you build: self-confidence is worth nothing without the competence underneath it, so the goal is not to inflate the reading but to earn it. — Who Is Flying (Self, Nature & Nurture)