What is more important: To love thyself, or to love others??

Answer 1

Love thyself. I've had trouble with this most of my life. If you don't love yourself, you don't recognize those whom genuinely love you. So how can you truly gain the knowledge to love them in return if you don't know what love is.

Answer 2

Hi,

I have been an RN, a Mom, A wife and a christian for many , many years now. I think I have learned a lot along the way.

I sincerely believe that if you love yourself first you will have a fuller life. Loving others is but a reflection of being able to care. If you are not happy, as in liking or loving yourself at any given time, then you will probably not be able to extend the emotional energy that it takes to care about others. Of course, i am not talking about self-love as in egotism, I am talking about being a person who has found a place in life that lets you feel like if you died today you may be missed but you will not miss this experience we call life because you feel that you have had a good ride.

I come from poverty and abuse of some of the worst kind and yet i have heard repeatedly, in my adult life, you are so giving, why?
Not is so many words but, I volunteer, I work with Alzheimer's caregivers as a Consultant and i have a life that yes, if i died tomorrow, i would be missed but what a ride i have already had at age 57.

Of course, if you love others i.e., volunteer, teach, etc. you will not be able to not love yourself. I hope you have found a place in life because we really only do go around once and I have baptized dying infants in the hospital and talked to 100 y.o. and everything in between. Most of all I have seen life in 32 years of nursing and know that no one can make life for you, you have to make your own by simply drawing on the strength of the experience and examples you have had in your life.

Take care, Mom Mary

Answer 3

Love thyself but not in a selfish way.Be thankful for what you gained in life, let others take part. Learn to accept all faults you have so you can do it with others too. Love others but don't give yourself up. Give and take should be in equilibrium.

Answer 4

To love thyself is key to truely loving others, rather than just being dependent on others for love.

Answer 5

If you don't love yourself 1st, you won't be able to give that love to others, so therefore you should love thyself. (Everyone seeks out a partner or friends who will very positively towards them.)

Answer 6

I think to love thyself is more important only then can thy cup runneth over and start pouring love out onto other people.

Or is it the other way round hehe, chicken and the egg syndrome!!!

Answer 7

Ok if you hate yourself or am not happy about yourself that will rub off on the ones you love. You can't enjoy yourself with your loved ones trully if you are always down on yourself. That is why people say love yourself then others.

But I gotta say you need to find a balance. Yes you need to take care of yourself but also be careful of self vanity. Some people get so consumed with themselves they forget to spend quality times with the people they love.

I believe you need to just love yourself the way you are and love everyone else the way they are and your life will be fulfilling.

Answer 8

My great aunt told me the answer to this question a few years ago - it is analogous to helping someone stuck on a ledge of a cliff:

"Use one hand to help others, and the other hand to help yourself."

I think it implies that we should try and maintain a balance. Otherwise, if you only loved others and not yourself, you'd hurt yourself loving and helping others, and wouldn't be able to love and help others as much in future if you were permanently injured!

Answer 9

Others.

Answer 10

Its most fun to make love to others. However, there are times when it can be quite fun to make love to thyself. So I have to say both!