Published on 12, July, 2020
Whenever I would hear the saying "no one's going to like you if you don't like yourself" or "if you don't love yourself, how are you gonna love yourself", I used to reject it instantly. I would be like "how dare you suggest I'm unworthy of love" or something.
I think differently now, as I get where it comes from. I know that I'm not the most fun to be around at the moment in what I would probably describe (if pushed) as a deep depression, although I'd more comfortably describe it as me just suffering the consequences of my own actions.
It did make me think though. My problem is I don't know the difference between self-love and arrogance. I'm so scared I'll come across as cocky and full of myself, so I go to the other extreme instead because it's more comfortable.
I've fully convinced myself that if I ever said "I'm proud of myself", the people around me would be like "you're so up yourself". Therefore I don't say it at all.
Dunno, I'm intrigued if there's anything that has worked for people and whether you see a change in how people respond to you if you start doing it.
To be honest it’s a bit of advice that’s always irritated me.
Partly because it’s almost certainly true that people won’t like you if you don’t like yourself, but mainly because it’s very difficult to like yourself when every signal you receive from the world suggests that you aren’t likeable.
I suppose it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
That is true. It's even harder when it's not a signal, it's the absolute truth.
It's a slower process, to put it lightly.