At some point, everywhere you look, there are ubiquitous advertising-copy-like phrases, “Love Yourself.” Some people nod their heads, saying, “If I don’t love myself, who will?” while others shake their heads, arguing that it’s right to love your neighbor rather than spending time loving yourself. Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong.
To love your neighbor as yourself, you must first love yourself. So, loving yourself is a good thing. Love for your neighbor and humanity starts there. But the problem is, “Which self” to love.
No one’s “self” in this world is like a well-ordered, unified, totalitarian state. Within the “self,” where thoughts change a dozen times a day, “multiple selves” are always fighting.
If the self that wants to clean the room and decorate it beautifully and the self that wants to sleep more because it’s tired are fighting, we must choose which self to love. Loving both could lead to schizophrenia.
My self that wants to flatter the cool and rich people and my self that wants to meet and interact with people who are less fortunate than me are fighting. The body is one, and leisure time is not so abundant, so I can’t do both properly. I have to choose which self to love.
My self that wants to have sex with a cool person when I have the chance and enjoy the thrill and my self that says sex is something you should only do with someone you’ll be with for life are fighting in my heart. They call each other names like “loser” and “slut” and grab each other’s hair to fight. I have to choose which self to love.
Even in situations where keeping your conscience will cause you to lose out and slightly closing your eyes will bring you gains, the “two selves” in your heart fight each other. The side that wants gains makes obvious remarks like, “Think of your family,” or “Without money, your life is over,” while the other side repeats the simple truth that doing something wrong is a sin. I have to choose which self to love.
The self that pursues physical pleasure and the self that pursues spiritual growth,
The self that pursues gains and the self that pursues conscience,
The self that tries to save face and the self that tries to let go of pride,
The self that wants to boast and the self that tries to consider others better than myself,
Whichever side you choose, it’s the same in that it’s “Love yourself.” Each person can choose according to their free will. Of course, you should keep in mind the truth that choices come with corresponding consequences.
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