Whenever I talk on the subject of self-esteem — how the research strongly suggests that people with high regard for themselves have correspondingly low regard for others and that high self-esteem is highly associated with antisocial behavior like bullying — people become understandably perplexed. After all, the notion that a state of high self-esteem is desirable has become as American as mom and apple pie. The inevitable response: “But John, I want my child to possess self-confidence.”