Roger believed that our self-esteem developed from interactions with our parents during childhood. A person's self-esteem will influence relationships with friends, partners, or work (McLeod, 2007). Roger believed that we need to feel positively regarded by others. Positive regard is how we are judged and viewed by others. Unconditional positive regard occurs when a person feels free to make choices and mistakes without fear of losing positive regard. Conditional positive regard occurs when a person feels that they will be viewed positively only when they act or behave in a way deemed appropriate by a parent or other person. If a person regularly seeks approval, then, according to Rogers, he or she will likely receive only conditional positive respect (McLeod, 2007). The closer the ideal self and the actual self are to each other, the higher a person's sense of self-worth. Our ideal self is what we desire to be, and the real self is what we are. When there is an imbalance between who we want to be and who we are, a person may develop defense mechanisms to try to alter their real self (McLeod,