I'll start this off by talking about The ego. Your ego is a fragile thing, but it's good when it breaks, Your ego is your perceived self image, it is made up of what you want others to see you as. So for that very reason your ego stops you from acting true to who you are, Your ego focuses on keeping your self image, impressing others and being accepted. Sadly that isn't always best for your social life, it can have an effect on your attitude, and can make you appear self conscious, or self absorbed. If you want to have proper social life, based on who you actually are, you need to express yourself, rather than trying to impress. To do that you need to expose your true self, true self worth "SELF ESTEEM" Your self esteem is very different and yet very similar to the ego. The ego and self esteem both get stronger when you get someone or something stoking it (get your mind out of the gutter) the difference is when you stroke the ego, it tends to have a negative effect in the "long run" (pun intended) the self esteem however when you get positive reinforcement will naturally make you more confident, but also shoots your ego up as well, because whatever that positive reinforcement is, it also reinforces that self image. (think of the ego as a tower of ice, and there is water pouring down on it consistently forming new ice, and making it stronger and thicker. Now think of self esteem in the same way except rather then ice and water, its rock, and magma. the ice can break, and chip, and isn't sustainable. Rock however is strong, and over the years of pressure it becomes diamond) Now lets talk about negative reinforcement with your ego, and self esteem. it will be like getting a bruise, it will hurt and it will leave a mark, but that bruise will actually break that ego down and build up your self esteem. it will especially build up that self esteem if your ego is out of the way. If you want to get your ego out of the way, you have to let go of your self image COMPLETELY, you need drop the "i need to be cool" instead you need to go out and dance like a complete goofball, scream as loud as you can, and get everyone to look at you like you are crazy, anything to make it impossible to hold a self image. Here's why you want to get the ego out of the way. When you take your ego out of the equation you enable yourself to be fully and completely expressive. The reason why it's good to be fully expressive is because that makes you real and genuine, rather then being fake and micro-managing your self image. When you throw your self image to the curb, and you be who you are, you actually make it easier to connect with people, and you gain instant charisma points, and people notice that you are different from everyone else. When people reject reject you, and don't like who you are, it doesn't effect your self image, because you don't have one, and for that very reason it actually makes you more confident in who you truly are. it's far better to be rejected for being your genuine self, than a fake persona, your ego created around you. You might think it would be bad when people reject you, but your self esteem doesn't get effected, at least when you have built it up a little bit first by first being rejected. SO GO out and meet some people, and be who you truly are