OK, I read many articles on this topic, paid close attention to their wordings and came to a conclusion that they are all referring to self-respect as means of getting self-confidence, building self-worth, taking pride in oneโs work, getting in the center of oneโs own attentionโฆ.
I wonder, if we are maybe referring to the ego, thus?
If we make a difference between ego and self, we extract the one from the other, something completely different appears on the surface.
I read this beautiful article, so accurate, so true, so straight to the point (one can say), quoting 15 things that change in a person when they have high self-respect. I found myself nodding while reading itโฆin affirmationโฆ..it was all true, I shared the same thoughts, the same feelings – all things stated in there were accurate and up to the pointโฆ
Yes, I said to myself, you change so profoundly by gaining self-respect – people recognize you as a completely different person. Yes, you let go of the past, get centered within the present moment, dream of the futureโฆ.yes, you have your own opinion and stick to it regardless of what other people say, other peopleโs opinions are just their own opinions and others cannot impose their will upon youโฆ.yes, you donโt have to explain yourself anymore, you donโt owe anyone an explanation nor an apology for your actions, you no longer convince people, no longer await anyoneโs approval – you live and act according to your values and principles established as a table of contents (in other words โ morals)โฆ..
All the qualities one gains by self-respect regarded thus refer and relate to the ego only: What will I gain (what will my ego gain) as I further gain self-respect?
What refers to the self is something completely differentโฆ.at least, that is how I see itโฆit has to do with LOVE โ Self-love.
Self-respect is self-love.
โLove is the very essence and character of the mind, and becomes manifest in action when the mind is wholeโ โ says Alan Watts
โฆhttp://www.awakin.org/read/audio.php?op=play&tid=2229
โNothing is really more inhuman than human relations based on morals.โ
Love knows no morals, no right or wrong, love is not self-centred, it does not hide away from people, it does not abstain from contact, it does not withhold anythingโฆ Love is the sole manifestation of the values in life, for in its dimension it is impossible to be anything but genuine.
Being genuine and thus being full of love towards yourself first, you become the centre of the Universe from which the light bursts even to its most distant corners.
You become adaptive, exposed, fulfilledโฆ no prejudices, no limitations, no restrictions (by no means), you get a universal understanding about life, you become part of the great truth โฆ.
Morals are made up by poor people in need of direction. Love needs no direction, it knows what to do, where to go. Actions out of love cannot produce primitive feelings in people, like anger, jealousy, fear, anxiety (a new illness of the modern times). Actions out of love suffer no negative consequences.
And, most importantly, all great works of art are made out of love (as if produced by a divine intervention, i.e. the Universe).
โLove that expresses itself in creative action is something much more than an emotion. It is not something which you can โfeelโ and โknow,โ remember and define. Love is the organizing and unifying principle which makes the world a universe and the disintegrated mass a community.โ
To go one step further โ one has no self to love.
One loves the whole Universe inside himself.
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