Self-love
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"We ought to fear a man who hates himself; for we are liable to become the victims of his anger and revenge. Let us therefore try to tempt him into self-love."--The Dawn of Day (1881) by Friedrich Nietzsche |
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Self-love is the strong sense of respect for and confidence in oneself. It is different from narcissism in that as one practices acceptance and detachment, the awareness of the individual shifts and the individual starts to see him or herself as an extension of all there is. Ultimately, the identification of āIā from a personal individual perspective, shifts to āIā from a perspective of consciousness or life being experienced from the perceptual point of view that we call by our individual names. Healthy self-love plays an essential role in mental health, well being, self preservation, and happiness.
In 1956 psychologist and social philosopher Erich Fromm proposed that loving oneself is different from being arrogant, conceited or egocentric. He proposed that loving oneself means caring about oneself, taking responsibility for oneself, respecting oneself, and knowing oneself (e.g. being realistic and honest about one's strengths and weaknesses). He proposed, further, that in order to be able to truly love another person, a person needs first to love oneself in this way.
Self-love is generally learned in childhood - to varying degrees - through honesty, acceptance, and love; the esteem and love of the parent(s) is often "projected" onto the child.
Conversely, if one parent overtly disrespects the other, or himself / herself, the stage may be set for unhealthy self-esteem and self-love, as the child grows into adulthood.
Amor sui
Amor sui is Latin for self-love.
Augustine, City of God, XIV.28:
- Fecerunt itaque ciuitates duas amores duo, terrenam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei, caelestem uero amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui.
- "Likewise, two cities have been formed by two loves, the worldly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God, the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self."
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