From meditation research, scientists have developed a self-
compassion scale: one's self-kindness vs. self-judgement, their
common humanity vs. isolation and their mindfulness of negative
emotions vs. over-identification with those emotions.
Here's a quick test to where you fit on these scales:
http://www.self-compassion.org/test-your-self-compassion-level.html
Score interpretations:
Average overall self-compassion scores tend to be around 3.0 on the
1-5 scale, so you can interpret your overall score accordingly. As a
rough guide, a score of 1-2.5 for your overall self-compassion score
indicates you are low in self-compassion, 2.5-3.5 indicates you are
moderate, and 3.5-5.0 means you are high. Remember that higher scores
for the Self-Judgment, Isolation, and Over-Identification subscales
indicate less self-compassion, while lower scores on these dimensions
are indicative of more self-compassion (these subscales are
automatically reverse-coded when your overall self-compassion score
is calculated.)
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Self-compassion
Self-compassion is extending compassion to one's self in instances of
perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering. Neff has defined
self-compassion as being composed of three main components - self-
kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.[1]
Self-kindness: Self-compassion entails being warm towards oneself
when encountering pain and personal shortcomings, rather than
ignoring them or hurting oneself with self-criticism.
Common humanity: Self-compassion also involves recognizing that
suffering and personal failure is part of the shared human experience.
Mindfulness: Self-compassion requires taking a balanced approach to
one's negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor
exaggerated. Negative thoughts and emotions are observed with
openness, so that they are held in mindful awareness. Mindfulness is
a non-judgmental, receptive mind state in which individuals observe
their thoughts and feelings as they are, without trying to suppress
or deny them.[2] Conversely, mindfulness requires that one not be
"over-identified" with mental or emotional phenomena, so that one
suffers aversive reactions.[3] This latter type of response involves
narrowly focusing and ruminating on one's negative emotions.[4]
Much of the research conducted on self-compassion so far has used the
Self-Compassion Scale,[1] which measures the degree to which
individuals display self-kindness against self-judgment, common
humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-
identification. Research indicates that self-compassionate
individuals experience greater psychological health than those who
lack self-compassion. For example, self-compassion is positively
associated with life-satisfaction, wisdom, happiness, optimism,
curiosity, learning goals, social connectedness, personal
responsibility, and emotional resilience. At the same time, it is
negatively associated with self-criticism, depression, anxiety,
rumination, thought suppression, perfectionism, and disordered eating
attitudes [1][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Although psychologists extolled the benefits of self-esteem for many
years, recent research has exposed costs associated with the pursuit
of high self-esteem,[11] including narcissism,[12] distorted self-
perceptions,[13] contingent and/or unstable self-worth,[14] as well
as anger and violence toward those who threaten the ego.[15]
It appears that self-compassion offers the same mental health
benefits as self-esteem, but with fewer of its drawbacks such as
narcissism, ego-defensive anger, inaccurate self-perceptions, self-
worth contingency, or social comparison.[7][16]
[edit]
References
^ a b c Neff, K. D. (2003a). "The development and validation of a
scale to measure self-compassion". Self and Identity 2 (3): 223–250.
DOI:10.1080/15298860309027.
^ Brown, K. W.; Ryan, R. M. (2003). "The benefits of being present:
Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being". Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology 84 (4): 822–848. DOI:
10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822. PMID 12703651.
^ Bishop, S. R.; Lau, M.; Shapiro, S.; Carlson, L.; Anderson, N. D.;
Carmody, J.; Segal, Z. V. Abbey; Speca, M. et al. (2004).
"Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition". Clinical Psychology
Science and Practice 11: 191–206.
^ Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1991). "Responses to depression and their
effects on the duration of depressive episodes". Journal of Abnormal
Psychology 100 (4): 569–582. DOI:10.1037/0021-843X.100.4.569. PMID
1757671.
^ Adams, C. E., & Leary, M. R. (in press). Promoting Self-
compassionate Attitudes toward Eating Among Restrictive and Guilty
Eaters. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
^ Gilbert, & Irons, 2005
^ a b Leary, M. R.; Tate, E. B.; Adams, C. E.; Allen, A. B.; Hancock,
J. (2007). "Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant
events: The implications of treating oneself kindly". Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology 92 (5): 887–904. DOI:
10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887. PMID 17484611.
^ Neff, K. D.; Hseih, Y.; Dejitthirat, K. (2005). "Self-compassion,
achievement goals, and coping with academic failure". Self and
Identity 4 (3): 263–287. DOI:10.1080/13576500444000317.
^ Neff, K. D.; Kirkpatrick, K.; Rude, S. S. (2007). "Self-compassion
and its link to adaptive psychological functioning". Journal of
Research in Personality 41: 139–154. DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.004.
^ Neff, K. D.; Rude, S. S.; Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). "An examination
of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning
and personality traits". Journal of Research in Personality 41 (4):
908–916. DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2006.08.002.
^ Crocker, J.; Park, L. E. (2004). "The costly pursuit of self-
esteem". Psychological Bulletin 130 (3): 392–414. DOI:
10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.392. PMID 15122925.
^ Bushman, B. J.; Baumeister, R. F. (1998). "Threatened egotism,
narcissism, self-esteem, and direct and displaced aggression: Does
self-love or self-hate lead to violence?". Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology 75 (1): 219–229. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.75.1.219.
PMID 9686460.
^ Sedikides, C. (1993). "Assessment, enhancement, and verification
determinants of the self-evaluation process". Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology 65 (2): 317–338. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.65.2.317.
^ Crocker, J.; Wolfe, C. T. (2001). "Contingencies of self-worth".
Psychological Review 108 (3): 593–623. DOI:10.1037/0033-295X.
108.3.593. PMID 11488379.
^ Baumeister, R. F.; Smart, L.; Boden, J. M. (1996). "Relation of
threatened egotism to violence and aggression: The dark side of high
self-esteem". Psychological Review 103 (1): 5–33. DOI:
10.1037/0033-295X.103.1.5. PMID 8650299.
^ Neff, K. D & Vonk, R. (submitted). Self-compassion versus self-
esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Manuscript
submitted for publication.
