YouTube Dr. Phil Blog Be On Dr. Phil Self Matters Printer Friendly Version of this Article A Self-Esteem Quiz Improving your self-esteem is a lot of work. Start by asking yourself these questions. 1. Is your self-esteem based on what others think of you? 2. Do you do things to make other people happy, even if it makes you feel bad? 3. Do you have a hard time being happy for others when they succeed? 4. Do you call yourself names like "stupid" or "dummy" when you make mistakes — or sometimes even when you don't? 5. Do you have a hard time taking risks? Scoring: If you answered yes to any of these questions, your self-concept or self-esteem may be distorted. If you answered yes to three or more, then you are not living authentically.