A psychological pattern in which a person's self-evaluation shifts between self-importance and self-doubt. The individual alternates between feeling
superior and inferior. The alternation is both random and reactive. The self-esteem of the individual can alternate alone without any influence, although external factors like success and
failure can influence the self-esteem aswell.
The magnitude of the alternation can be big to some individuals, but it can also be
small. It's often big enough to be internally (and
sometimes externally) visible, but not big enough to have a major impact on the day-to-day
life of the individual.
Self-esteem oscillation is descriptive, not diagnostic. It can appear in otherwise completely healthy individuals. The central issue is not arrogance or insecurity alone, but rather the instability between them. Self-esteem oscillation is curable.
"He sometimes comes across as arrogant, but it's really a
case of self-esteem oscillation. One day he
feels superior, the next he doubts his self-worth again."
