Self-compassion
As a general rule, you will treat others in the same way that you treat yourself. If you are hard on yourself, if you demand perfection of yourself, then you will inevitably project this outwards. You may try to be very loving and forgiving and gentle to others- you may even demand that you are loving and forgiving and gentle to others! - but unless you are also this way to yourself, you are bound to slip up. Self-compassion is often viewed as indulgent, self-centred, wishy-washy, perhaps an excuse to lower ones standards. But it is actually very important, for others as much as for yourself.
Lina said,
April 13, 2007 @ 5:14 am
Perhaps, there is a very small “noticeable” difference in between egoism and self-esteem. If you are egoist, then you may lack self-esteem because loving yourself will lead you into loving others. If you lack “pure” self-love, you will tend to try obtaining many things for yourself, forgetting about other’s needs. The more you love “truly” yourself, the more you are free from egoism and are able to give.
Perhaps…