Editing Self-esteem (section)

===Real self, ideal self, and dreaded self===
There are three levels of self-evaluation development in relation to the real self, ideal self, and the dreaded self. The real, ideal, and dreaded selves develop in children in a sequential pattern on cognitive levels.<ref name="self-evaluation">{{cite journal |first1=F. Clark |last1=Power |first2=Vladimir T. |last2=Khmelkov |title=Character development and self-esteem: Psychological foundations and educational implications |journal=International Journal of Educational Research |volume=27 |issue=7 |pages=539–551 |doi=10.1016/S0883-0355(97)00053-0 |year=1998 }}</ref>
* Moral judgment stages: Individuals describe their real, ideal, and dreaded selves with stereotypical labels, such as "nice" or "bad". Individuals describe their ideal and real selves in terms of disposition for actions or as behavioral habits. The dreaded self is often described as being unsuccessful or as having bad habits.
* Ego development stages: Individuals describe their ideal and real selves in terms of traits that are based on attitudes as well as actions. The dreaded self is often described as having failed to meet social expectations or as self-centered.
* Self-understanding stages: Individuals describe their ideal and real selves as having unified identities or characters. Descriptions of the dreaded self focus on  failure to live up to one's ideals or role expectations often because of real world problems.
This development brings with it increasingly complicated and encompassing moral demands. This level is where individuals' self-esteems can suffer because they do not feel as though they are living up to certain expectations. This feeling will moderately affect one's self-esteem with an even larger effect seen when individuals believe they are becoming their dreaded selves.<ref name="self-evaluation"/>