I cannot emphasize or advocate this enough. Self love in my opinion is the best and most important kind of love. Why? Because it all starts with you. You set the example of how to be loved. Before someone can ever love you, it's absolutely vital that you love yourself. Think about it this way, you will forever be YOU. Until the day your energy/soul leaves your temporary host/body you're currently living in, you will always be this being and never anyone else....ever; it's reality. So why not live this life happily and love who you see staring back at you? Why shoot yourself down every chance you get? Why be unthankful and pessimistic about yourself? I promise you nothing positive comes from negative thinking. Just think about it, when you accept your flaws no one can use them against you, correct? Their only power is your reaction and by you owning and loving every little thing about yourself down to your extra toe or cellulite, you take the bullet out of their gun and they no longer have power over you. It's essential to know and love who you are because once you do, no one can't ever define you! How can someone who can't possibly know you longer or better than yourself, tell you who YOU are? And you let them? And you believed them? Do you know how crazy the both of you are for letting this injustice transpire? When I put it that way, it seems a bit silly to let someone dictate to you who you are doesn't it? Well it is. In many cases people feel empty inside and feel as if they're missing something in life and the only way to feel whole is for another individual to complete them. I deeply feel this is unhealthy. Why? Because you should have complete control of your happiness without dependence of others. When you don't love yourself abundantly, your tolerance for pain increases. You're less reluctant and quicker to accept garbage in hopes of love. You'd defend someone who is deliberately hurting you before you'd jump to your own defense. Let me say that again. You'd DEFEND SOMEONE who is deliberately HURTING YOU BEFORE you'd jump to YOUR OWN DEFENSE . How distorted is this scenario? At that very moment, you loved someone more than you loved yourself. You've chosen someone over yourself and this is a crime. Guard your sacred self love, treasure your prize possession. Bury it deep inside of you, so far where it is intangible and no one can ever tamper with it. Recognize and keep distance from anything that ask you to compromise your self love; it is toxic and isn't love at all.