Self-compassion and global self-esteem are two distinct ways of relating to oneself. Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, recognizing shared humanity, and being mindful of personal weaknesses. Global self-esteem is based on positive evaluations of oneself and is often linked to mental health. However, research suggests that self-compassion may be a more effective alternative to global self-esteem for promoting psychological well-being. Study 1 found that self-compassion predicted more stable feelings of self-worth than global self-esteem and was less dependent on specific outcomes. Self-compassion also had a stronger negative association with social comparison, public self-consciousness, self-rumination, anger, and need for cognitive closure. Global self-esteem was positively associated with narcissism, but not self-compassion. Study 2 found that both constructs were statistically equivalent predictors of happiness, optimism, and positive affect. Self-compassion is associated with psychological health, including greater life satisfaction, emotional intelligence, social connectedness, and mastery goals, as well as less self-criticism, depression, anxiety, rumination, thought suppression, perfectionism, performance goals, and disordered eating behaviors. Self-compassion is also linked to increased levels of reflective and affective wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity, happiness, optimism, and positive affect. It is also significantly associated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism (negatively). Self-compassion is less dependent on social approval and particular external outcomes than global self-esteem. It is also less likely to be threatened by negative aspects of the self. Self-compassion is associated with a greater sense of relatedness and security, and it deactivates the threat system while activating the self-soothing system. In contrast, global self-esteem is associated with evaluations of superiority/inferiority and is related to alerting, energizing impulses and dopamine activation. Self-compassion is more predictive of positive relationship behavior than global self-esteem in terms of being caring, intimate, supportive, and nonaggressive with romantic partners. It is also significantly correlated with attachment security. Self-compassion is associated with reduced anxiety after a task requiring individuals to consider their greatest weakness. Self-compassion is also associated with less ego-related reactivity than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is a stronger negative predictor of ego-focused reactivity than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is also associated with less social comparison, public self-consciousness, and self-rumination than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is not significantly associated with narcissism, whereas global self-esteem is. Self-compassion is associated with less anger and need for cognitive closure than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is associated with more stable feelings of self-worth that are less contingent on particular outcomes. It also has a stronger negative association with social comparison, self-evaluative anxiety, anger, and closed-mindednessSelf-compassion and global self-esteem are two distinct ways of relating to oneself. Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, recognizing shared humanity, and being mindful of personal weaknesses. Global self-esteem is based on positive evaluations of oneself and is often linked to mental health. However, research suggests that self-compassion may be a more effective alternative to global self-esteem for promoting psychological well-being. Study 1 found that self-compassion predicted more stable feelings of self-worth than global self-esteem and was less dependent on specific outcomes. Self-compassion also had a stronger negative association with social comparison, public self-consciousness, self-rumination, anger, and need for cognitive closure. Global self-esteem was positively associated with narcissism, but not self-compassion. Study 2 found that both constructs were statistically equivalent predictors of happiness, optimism, and positive affect. Self-compassion is associated with psychological health, including greater life satisfaction, emotional intelligence, social connectedness, and mastery goals, as well as less self-criticism, depression, anxiety, rumination, thought suppression, perfectionism, performance goals, and disordered eating behaviors. Self-compassion is also linked to increased levels of reflective and affective wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity, happiness, optimism, and positive affect. It is also significantly associated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism (negatively). Self-compassion is less dependent on social approval and particular external outcomes than global self-esteem. It is also less likely to be threatened by negative aspects of the self. Self-compassion is associated with a greater sense of relatedness and security, and it deactivates the threat system while activating the self-soothing system. In contrast, global self-esteem is associated with evaluations of superiority/inferiority and is related to alerting, energizing impulses and dopamine activation. Self-compassion is more predictive of positive relationship behavior than global self-esteem in terms of being caring, intimate, supportive, and nonaggressive with romantic partners. It is also significantly correlated with attachment security. Self-compassion is associated with reduced anxiety after a task requiring individuals to consider their greatest weakness. Self-compassion is also associated with less ego-related reactivity than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is a stronger negative predictor of ego-focused reactivity than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is also associated with less social comparison, public self-consciousness, and self-rumination than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is not significantly associated with narcissism, whereas global self-esteem is. Self-compassion is associated with less anger and need for cognitive closure than global self-esteem. Self-compassion is associated with more stable feelings of self-worth that are less contingent on particular outcomes. It also has a stronger negative association with social comparison, self-evaluative anxiety, anger, and closed-mindedness