Do you truly love yourself?

[Kaere]

Do I truly love myself? Honestly... nope... I don't. I am harder on myself than I would ever EVER be on someone else.

[Emmalevine]

No, I don't.

[psychoslice]

But isn't it true that if you can't love yourself, you can't love anyone else?.

[Kaere]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

But isn't it true that if you can't love yourself, you can't love anyone else?.

It's what people say or parrot from something they read somewhere but I don't feel it's true for me. I love others very strongly. But perhaps that's what keeps others from loving me, so to speak. It's an awkward thing to talk about because most folks won't just listen, they become compelled to "fix".

Originally Posted by psychoslice

But isn't it true that if you can't love yourself, you can't love anyone else?.

Sometimes I think it's just the opposite. That it can be easier to project love onto another that it is to find out what is worth loving in you.

Do I truly love myself? Honestly... nope... I don't. I am harder on myself than I would ever EVER be on someone else.
__________________
No, I don't.

For a moment, consider you were a gardener-horticulturalist tending to
a group of exotic flowering plants.

How would this attitude affect them? If you constantly criticized their appearance, development.

You- your soul are that exotic life form and deserve-need love-appreciation as much as you need air.
Why deny that which you need most to develop?

A child who is sincerely encouraged-loved learns optimally. IMO

Perfectionism can be noble in specific pursuits, but can crush our spirit if love is withheld.

I certainly have personality aspects I'm not proud of, but I still deserve to be loved, we all do.... Why wait?

Pity we don't have a national holiday for celebrating our self. To nourish the aspects that need recognition, and forgive those that we lack

I don't mean this as some new age wo-wo.

But our primal need for "nourishment-recognition" that both children& adults possess.

Originally Posted by Henri77

I don't mean this as some new age wo-wo.

But our primal need for "nourishment-recognition" that both children& adults possess.

I agree. Speaking from general experience of others, I have seen those who are too self-critical really being too tough on themselves. When someone is constantly hard on themselves, then there is discontent/unhappiness. Just as a suggestion, to help balance this, surely it would be beneficial if they could keep in mind their virtues and positive feedback that they have had. A little softness....a little more self-love.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by Kaere

It's what people say or parrot from something they read somewhere but I don't feel it's true for me. I love others very strongly. But perhaps that's what keeps others from loving me, so to speak. It's an awkward thing to talk about because most folks won't just listen, they become compelled to "fix".

Yes I see what you mean, like its easy to talk about this love, but its a totally different story to actually experience it, I myself was always confused about this love, I think it was because my parents never showed love to me, when my mum was dieing of cancer, just a few hours before she past away, I told her that I loved her, that was the first time I ever told her that, she never told me that she loved me either.

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Yes I see what you mean, like its easy to talk about this love, but its a totally different story to actually experience it, I myself was always confused about this love, I think it was because my parents never showed love to me, when my mum was dieing of cancer, just a few hours before she past away, I told her that I loved her, that was the first time I ever told her that, she never told me that she loved me either.

Oh wow psychoslice....that must have been heartbreaking.