Understanding Asperger's - self-esteem issues?

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When people compliment me or try to assure me of my "real value," it doesn't make sense to me. I don't have a place to mentally file that. I have been told that I have low self esteem and should think better about myself but, although I'm very introspective (always wondering what's ticking in there and what it might mean), oddly, at the same time, I don't think about myself at all, poorly or well. I just AM myself. I make self-effacing jokes but I don't do it to gain sympathy, that's just the type of humor that seems most comfortable and human to me and I don't see why I shouldn't.

Do other people on the spectrum experience this as well -- are you just your matter-of-fact little self, which other people mistake for self-esteem issues? What does low self esteem look like on the spectrum, and how is it different from just having a realistic approach to life (which sometimes can be discouraging)?

It's easiest to look at it in terms of perceived capabilities. The person with low self esteem underestimates his/her capabilities while the arrogant one overestimates it. So if you're saying something that can be interpreted as, "I can't do this thing, but I wish I could" then you'll elicit the self esteem comments. So even though you may not FEEL like you have low self esteem, chances are that you do. Because, generally speaking, most people DO underestimate their own capabilities or refuse to try new things for fear of failure.

When people compliment me on something I've done they will often say something like, "That's clever!" To which I will reply, "No, it's not." People will then assume I have a self esteem issue and will start to argue, "Yes it is," etc. But what I mean is it wasn't clever for me i.e it was easy and so in that way it's not correct to say it's clever - if it was difficult but I managed to work it out, then I would consider it clever. It's all in the perception (and maybe my autistic thinking)

i dont have a low or high self esteem, i copy a lot of whatever other girls say though which can make it seem like i have a low self esteem. Sometimes i feel incompetent compared to my sister, who can do things i cant, but 90% of the time i am not aware of myself, therefore i have no high or low thoughts about myself.

I find when i get picked on and people point out my flaws that i had no idea was there, i feel rather self conscious of myself and it lowers my self esteem, but i always find it fascinating hearing about myself, its feels like im blind and other people describe my face and clothes to me.