Understanding

Like and love can be loaded words when you we come from a background of extreme child abuse. @Rhymster

Maybe self acceptance is a form of healthy self love. I always had to put caveats in about self love, cos I didn’t want to be confused into self indulgence or just doing what one wanted.

the editing can be frustrating

anyway, just saying hello.

I know what its like dealing with low self esteem and suicidal thoughts.

I don’t actually work for sane, just an elder.

@Rhymster I (currently) consider myself an antinatalist in terms of my outlook on life, so I get where you are coming from, to some degree and think it is still possible to live a good life without placing an importance on loving yourself as the only way to live a good life.

However, I would argue, if you fully accept yourself, it is, in my mind, impossible to like absolutely nothing about yourself and perhaps those are two seperate points?

1- You full accept who you are (this then doesn't need questioning, although fully accepting who you are is impossible unless you are completely objective, also impossible)

2- You have never liked yourself (this requires more questioning or reframing - such as, is there absolutely nothing at all that you like about yourself, and if so, why? Is there a deeper cause you haven't considered yet?)

@Appleblossom hello to you too

@balance37 probably because I have never mattered

@Rhymster @rav3n @balance37 I just had to operate so much out of survival and necessity that I couldn’t relate to the whole concept of like.

when the internet and social media introduced likes, it did my head in. I had to figure out what feeling pleasantly or mildly positive was about? I didn’t like “likes” at all. lol.

@Rhymster So it sounds like other people have made you feel as though you don't matter, and therefore you don't like anything about yourself. Because of their actions and not your own?

@Rhymster I don't know you at all, of course, but I can already tell you what I see in you - resilience and deep thinking

On YouTube I just use like to know what I have already watched as it has a habit of recommending videos I have watched years ago

@balance37 I am just Me mate

@Rhymster You are 😊 You have already made me reflect for myself with your first post