Is it possible to love someone without loving yourself?

[Ganeefa Karan]

I believe there's a difference between being in service of others through love and being in service of others through fear of being unloved, which we usually refer to as people pleasing. The intentions behind our services to others are reflections of the love we hold within. To love others as we love ourselves is to be in service through love. The latter type of sacrifice is merely to fill a void within oneself.

[Alicia Howell-Munson]

Personally I think there is a difference between love and other emotions, like obsession or desperation, which tend to be the driving factor when one does not love themself but shows affection towards another. I think to be able to love someone else unconditionally, then you need to be able to extend that love to yourself as well. An example is that I want to love my boyfriend's body just as it is but I wasn't able to fully accept him in that way until I became comfortable with my own body and could extend the same love to myself. It's my belief that if you can't accept something within yourself, then you can't accept it within others either because there will always be that voice that can do a negative comparison.

[Meverick Brian]

I believe you can love someone when you don't yourself genuinely. Speaking from experience it depends to what the person mean to you. This reminds me of my tragic past.

[Carlos Mata Saenz]

They are two connected elements but they are not extremely dependent on each other. I do believe you can love others without love yourself: so many people leaving on depression for example who are absolutely able to love everyone else but themselves. Equally, we see many people who love others more than themselves -as any father or mother with their children-.
I think the difference is if you can love other by the fact of being human beings without loving yourself, in that case the answer would -logically- be no.

[Fredrick Felix Mnjala Maneno]

I don't believe that it's possible to love someone else without loving yourself. One would not even be able to know how to comport themselves in that case.

[Omneya Shakeep]

Yes, I think it is possible. I don't think that someone can be incapable of loving others just because he's unable to love or value himself. I think the drive to love and cherish someone is stronger for them to help them find purpose in life.

[Poetical Feels]

"you can't pour out to others when your cup is empty" I truly believe this. When you don't love yourself there will come a time you won't be able to love and uplift those around you. It means that we may face our struggles and help others only if we value and care for ourselves.

[Christina Holtzclaw]

It is possible to love someone without loving yourself, but it often complicates relationships. When you don't love yourself, insecurities and self-doubt can affect how you give and receive love.

[Cynthia Pence]

It is completely true that I can not love my neighbors genuinely if I find it difficult to love myself. It is a natural scheme. However, the context of the biblical excerpt above is to be understandood from the place it was stated from. It was stated to show how genuinely we should love our neighbors, and no other example of love can be given to explain genuine love. One sad truth is that no one can love you like you can love yourself, so self-love is used as the simile of genuine love.

[Sarah Vinchu]

It's kind of possible, but I think it gonna be more complex. Self-love plays a huge role in our personal growth. So loving someone without self-love gonna be much more challenging. It's basic: when you don't find yourself worthy, how can you truly reciprocate someone else's love or their worthiness? It won't be a fair deal. You're gonna just burden your partner, giving rise to difficulties. Believing in your worth, self-compassion, and self-acceptance are important factors that play a vital role in building a healthy relationship with your true inner spirit.

[Smrithi Arun]

It is definitely possible, but as many others have pointed out, it does complicate relationships. If the other person involved is patient and just right, they are capable of teaching one to love oneself as they show the person that they, too, are worthy of love. However, that doesn't mean it should be their burden or job to make one love oneself. Self-love is a part of self-growth and character development. While the partner can be an aide to help further the process, they shouldn't be responsible to hold someone by the finger and lead them towards this important character development step.

[AriBasil]

The popular saying that charity begins at home quite answers this. You can't give what you do not have.

[Gerry Steen]

The popular saying that charity begins at home quite answers this. You can't give what you do not have.

This is a wise saying, indeed! My grandmother always said it. It can be interpreted in several ways. My interpretation was; make sure you take care of your family properly before you start donating your time and resources to people outside of your family. Some people make themselves busy helping others but forget to spend time with their kids. Thank you for your interpretation. I love it!

[Shanesha Sammerson]

The idea that one must love themselves in order to fully love others is rooted in Leviticus, which suggests a balance between self-care and caring for others. However, some people, driven by altruism, might prioritize others’ well-being over their own, appearing selfless. This could seem contradictory, but perhaps they express love differently. Loving oneself may not mean self-indulgence but recognizing one's inherent worth, which can lead to more sustainable and authentic love for others. True love may require both giving and respecting personal boundaries.

[Abril Zacca]

I believe it is possible to love someone without loving yourself, however, I do not believe this is healthy for either party. We should all learn to love ourselves first so we can love one another in the healthiest way possible.