Hi iciaguy. On second thought, I'd like to rephrase that last question. Think I may have over-simplified it! Branden's premise seems to be that the core problem isn't even the type of thinking, but the level of thinking. As in, we don't engage with reality, we don't exert any effort into cognitively processing our experience. We just coast by. By self-esteem, I mean a sense of agency over yourself, of self-efficacy. Experiencing life as not just something that happens to you, but something that you are an active participant in. Having a belief that you can meet its day to day challenges. I think it's deeper than just a sense of self-worth.