Love Yourself

Moralists have written an extensive literature about the need to love our neigbours. But is it not just as important  to be reminded of the prior duty of loving ourselves?
     Love is an emotion expressing itself in a favourable disposition towards the beloved. When we love someone we treat him kindly, we overlook his shortcomings and judge him favourably, we think of him as a person of dignity and value.
     Is there not as widespread a violation of self-love, as there is the love we owe towards others? There are many people who never learned to be kind to themselves. They continue to speak ill of themselves. They refuse to overlook there shortcomings, and they judge themselves unfavourably. They portray themselves as unworthy people as failures and as scoundrels.
     The law of love is all-inclusive in its dominion. We must love ourselves even as we must love our neighbours.