Does Locus Of Control Lead To Success Or Failure?

Locus of control has to do with the degree of control a person perceives he or she has over his or her own life. It develops as he learns cause and effect. The older we become, the more we realize that our actions have consequences which can either be good or bad, consequences which can either result in failure or success. Some people feel they are in charge of their lives and can make choices that will bring about desired outcomes. Such people have internal locus of control. Other people think their success or failure is based on environment and factors they have no rule over. Such mindset stems from external locus of control.
Locus of control is important when building self esteem because it helps us to put ourselves in perspective as well as our environment. For instance, John and Steve both desire to be successful in life. John’s parent dies since he finished high school and he had had to work odd jobs to send go to college. He in fact had students loan to pay off. Steve’s parents are his sponsors till he got to college and things went south for them. Now, they can’t afford his fees and Steve is downcast. He feels let down by his parents and can’t fathom any way to become a successful person. He dropped out of school and shortly after, became addicted to drugs. John graduated, got a good job, paid off his students loans and is living fine. John attributes his success to his resilience and determination which Steve attributes his failure to his parent’s incapability.
It is important to self esteem because it validates our perceptions, actions and person. Belonging and acceptance matters when you’re able to separate who identity from your actions. Everyone wants to belong to a social circle of some sorts. When you are accepted by the group you desire, your esteem rises but when you are excluded, it