Do you believe in the saying "You have to love yourself before you love someone else"?

I personally think that statement is bull. You don't have to love yourself or even like your life but you can still find it in yourself to love somebody else. Sometimes by loving someone else, you learn to love yourself and appreciate your own life. So sometimes it works in the opposite way.

Anybody can succumb to vanity, I guess it's just a matter of personality.

I think that this is an interesting question because from this question stem several other questions such as:

1. If you don't love yourself, do you really know what love is?

2. Is loving yourself a choice? Is loving someone else a choice?

3. Do you have to believe in love to love?

4. How many kinds of love exist?

I dont think its the rule. And I dont think that having that mentality is beneficial to anyone.

Its impossible to love yourself first when the world hates your or is disgusted by you. We define ourselves as others relate to us. We are a social species, and it is absolutely integral to our being and our identity.

Parents that tell their kids "love yourself" or "don't care about what others think" are being unrealistic. Sure, its healthy not to obsess about what others think. And its healthy to be yourself and not alter yourself or be fake just to meet a social expectation. But at the same time the complete rejection of other peoples views will only serve to alienate you further, and make you all the more miserable and lonely.

You can only protect the ego so long before you are forced to face reality... and that reality is people are superficial assssholes. And that cynicism and misanthrope is perfectly justified. But tolerating their BS and lowering your standards to rock freaking bottom is a part of any social society.

My dad told me that all of my life (until his death). I didn't understand what he meant until I got older.

I believe that its true to some extent. I believe you really need to care about yourself and love who you are to appreciate the beauty in others. If you don't love yourself and your significant other loves you and you love him then the confidence issue can become a problem in your relationship.

Confidence/loving yourself is very important to have a strong and long-term relationship. If you don't love yourself, then how can you completely open your heart for your significant other, friends, family, pets, or children? The love you have for yourself can also be a positive influence to those in your life who look up to you (i.e. children).

I think self-confidence, self-love is so important. Without it you're not as happy as you could be.

When we give someone our "love" we are essentially giving of ourselves. Obviously, when we're giving anything to someone we care about, we want it to be something of worth, right? When we try to love others without loving ourselves first it doesn't really work cuz you'll never feel deserving of their love...you're trying to give them something you don't even value yourself... you.

I'm not talking about conceit or vanity. Self love is nothing more than the confidence to stand up and say, "I matter, I am important, and the love I have to give has value." :-D

They should always follow this statement. I had a guy friend, who I loved so very much, he, on the other hand, did lots of drugs. Every drugs in the world. He destroyed himself and his life. And he couldn't, he seriously "couldn't" find room in his heart to love his girlfriend (which wasn't me, unfortunately). The drugs always came first. He didn't "love" himself, therefore he couldn't open up to others.

Don't confuse not loving yourself with not loving your life.

Sometimes we don't like, or even hate our life, but not necessarily ourselves. Been there. Although I was not happy with my circumstances, at core I was happy with who I was. Then I fell in love and life got better, even to the point that I loved it, even with all its problems. But to not love yourself, or hate yourself; that's a hard hole to climb out of. To truly love someone else you'd have to overcome envy / jealousy / resentment (that person is obviously a better person than you perceive yourself to be, or has a better life.) and doubt / trust(why would someone so wonderful want a loser like you?) You don't have to be a narcissistic egomaniac, but you have to be at peace with who you are, despite your circumstances.

i'm not sure if i believe this, i mean you can truly and utterly hate yourself to the point where you feel no love for yourself but i don't think that makes you incapable of loving someone else.

well your here God loves you so love your self and others too we don't have munch time left in this world so love all you can cause the end is coming pray to god and keep your eye's on him in the bible it tells us to love others prophet come to us to help us and some time in your life you might talk to one but if your not open you will miss out love your self for yhe love of god

Yes. You have to be loved by your parents,

to know what is is, so you can share it with

others in return. <}:-})