Self-love

Self-love, and self-love, called the all-embracing acceptance of himself in the form of a full love to yourself, the term is synonymous, but not completely synonymous with terms such as self-acceptance, self-respect, self- care, self-confidence and self-worth.

Prerequisite for the love of other people

Of thinkers like Erich Fromm self-love is seen as the basis for being able to love other people. Psychotherapeutic concepts such as the Psychodynamic Imaginative Trauma Therapy by Luise Reddemann describe the self-love according as a prerequisite for a good connection to the world and to other people.

Self-love is an essential aspect of the broader self-esteem, which to a large extent determined not only the self-image of man, but is also the basis of an appreciative dealing with other people. The interaction with the environment is influenced to a large extent by the self- love of a person. Another, for social contacts almost as important self-worth component is self-confidence, that is, confidence in the ability to shape one's own life and to achieve ambitious goals themselves ( see also self-efficacy ).

Biblical commandment

The primary biblical commandment: " Love your neighbor as yourself " ( Lev 19:18, Lk 10:27) refers to the self-love. The commandment is often misinterpreted: " Love thy neighbor " in the sense of "You have to care about your neighbor and ensure its value set higher than your". Self-love contained in the bid is changing at the expense of self-love to the contrary, instead of " Love yourself " is to " love others, to love yourself would be selfish and is not to you. "

• See also: "I can empathize with your neighbor " - to Catholic theologian Peter Knauer.

In times and cultures, follow these belief systems, self-love and their display in public perception are less accepted.

Distinct from narcissism and arrogance

The understood in this sense, self-love is distinguished from arrogance and narcissism. The various psychological or theological positions you approach with a different way of looking at the relationship between self-love, narcissism, some see it as mutually exclusive as himself.

According to the exclusionary view of self-love and narcissism, the narcissist behaves self-centered and self-important, because he does not like and considers inferior. Quote by Erich Fromm: " It is true that selfish people are unable to love others; However, they are just as incapable of loving themselves. "

The difference between self-love and narcissism is therefore again evident when narcissism translated with selfishness or self-love. In contrast to the self-love - that is, a self-acceptance with all the strengths and weaknesses - is self-love, the projection of a grandiose self. This excessive self-image in which all the weaknesses are negated, is dependent on permanent acknowledgment and admiration, to be achieved through the self-obsessed public image of their own advantages and benefits. Against this background, there is a healthy self-love, but no healthy narcissism.