‘Beauty or brains… I was blessed with both!’

“I have the beauty and the brains, typically people only have one. I was blessed with both.” So claims Daniel Elahi — one of 18 entrepreneurs set to battle it out for £250,000 in a new series of The Apprentice.

It remains to be seen how much business acumen will be on show. But when it comes to selling themselves, the candidates truly excel.

“There’s no need to watch your back when I’m already two steps in front,” claims marketing manager Frank Brooks. “I’m not anyone,” insists public speaker Kayode Damali — “If you’re not your own biggest fan, who do you expect to be it for you?”

Sian Gabbidon (who owns a swimwear brand) is the self-declared “Beyoncé of business”, while consultant Jackie Fast says she is not “intimidated by anyone, or anything.”

What links these outlandish statements? Each one shows the speaker has a high level of self-esteem, that is: belief in one’s own importance.

The idea that high self-esteem leads to success is a very modern notion. For thousands of years, Judeo-Christian wisdom emphasised the importance of modesty, humility and helping others.

Things changed in the 20th century. Philosophers like Ayn Rand rejected traditional ideas of altruism and declared that individuals must only care about themselves. She described the essence of her philosophy as “the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life”.

Crucially, this idea influenced later psychologists, who repackaged Rand’s philosophy of self-interest as the “psychology of self-esteem”.

In 1994, Nathaniel Branden (known as the “father” of the self-esteem movement) published The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. The book asserted that high self-esteem was necessary for success, and offered readers ways to boost their own.

These ideas have seeped into our culture. One long-running study tracked students’ responses to the statement “I am an important person”. In the 1950s, only 12% agreed. By 1989, that number had soared to almost 80%.

Is self-esteem overrated?

I, me, mine

Absolutely, some argue. The modern cult of self-esteem stems from a philosophy which taught that selfishness is better than caring for others. This leads to arrogance and narcissism, rather than a fulfilling life. Furthermore, people often confuse the pursuit of self-esteem with the pursuit of riches, fame and status — none of which last.

Not so fast, others respond. Encouraging people to have high-self esteem is crucial to their well-being. People who value themselves take charge of their own health, career and relationships. Furthermore, self-sufficiency actually makes you better at helping others. The confidence of these Apprentice candidates should be admired.