Obsessed
For scores of years a truism has set in and reached the status of proverb, at least in the popular sense. Specifically: “Learn to love yourself so that you can love others.” As a child I remember hearing various pastors say that this is what Jesus meant by “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Both as a young boy and now as a grown man the obvious discrepancy has not been reconciled. The objects of the commanded actions are distinctly different: Love yourself Love others The claimed reconciliation says that by doing #1 you necessarily end up with #2. But that is rubbish, because when pressed even a little, those who make the claim back peddle with something like, “it doesn't mean being self absorbed or self centered.” And more could be said, but the net result remains. Those two statements are not equivalent until the words are tinkered with. It has taken me far too long—experience is a sure but slow teacher—to discover the e...