"Oftentimes, when children are in trouble, you will hear people say that it is all because of low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is a phrase which here describes children who do not think much of themselves. They might think that they're ugly, or boring, or unable to do anything correctly, or some combination of these things, and whether or not they are right, you can see why those sorts of feeling might lead one into trouble. In the vast majority of cases, however, getting into trouble has nothing to do with one's self-esteem. It usually has much more to do with whatever is causing the trouble-a monster, a bus driver, a banana peel, killer bees, the school principal- than what you think of yourself"

-A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket