• Saying “Sorry” a lot
• There are times for these words, but they are not as frequent as you might think. Use “Sorry” only if you actually feel it; not as defensive mechanism.
• Self-deprecating Humor - A little sarcasm can go a long way, but a constant, self-deprecating, sense of self is very hurtful to ones confidence over time.
• Lack of Opinion/Lack of Defending Opinion - A lack of a strong opinion is often a sign that the person thinks they are wrong. That their ideas are faulty, not good enough or just bad.

Problem Oriented thinking

• When you ask a person “How are you, really?” and they only think about the problems in their life and complain about them all, you are dealing with someone that has rather low self-esteem. At least, if this happens on a regular basis.

Working too much

• People with high self-esteem are those that do a few tasks, do them well, and know that they have an impact. They are often uncomfortable and laced with backlashes, but when they work they really work. People with low self-esteem are not ready to tackle these kinds of high impact decisions and therefore often busy themselves with tasks that don’t matter nearly as much.