Self-esteem and Accomplishments 

A drug abuse counselor, of all people, says in Dreamland:

You only develop self-esteem one way, and that’s through accomplishment. 

With abuse counselors of such abysmal quality, I don’t even know what addicts can hope for. 

I have no doubt that a great number of super accomplished people with diplomas from prestigious schools, prizes, accolades, skills, money, achievements, etc are reading these words who know very well how little all these accomplishments protect them from self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, etc. 

Because self-esteem is formed long before even the most precocious among us can spell the word “accomplishment.” And if a drug counselor doesn’t know that, he won’t be able to help people with a problem for which they are set up at the same time as for low self-esteem.