In love with myself, that is what people say I am. It…
““In love with myself, that is what people say I am. It doesn’t surprise me, for how could they notice that I can love when I love only you; how could anyone else suspect it when I love only you? In love with myself. Why? Because I’m in love with you, because it is you I love, you alone, and all that truly belongs to you, and it is thus I love myself, because this, my self, belongs to you, so that if I ceased loving you I would cease loving myself. What then is, in the eyes of the profane world, an expression of the greatest egoism, is for your initiated eyes the expression of purest sympathy; what in the profane eyes of the world is an expression of the most prosaic self-preservation, is for your sacred sight the expression of the most enthusiastic self-annihilation.” ―Johannes de Silentio, from_Either/Or: A Fragment of Life_””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker equates self‑love with love for another, suggesting that true self‑identity is found only through loving a beloved, turning egoism into devotion.
In simple terms: Self‑love is love for the beloved, not selfishness.
Key Takeaway
Recognize love as identity, not ego.
Themes
love
identity
egoism
devotion
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- spiritual practice
- personal reflection
- ethical discourse
Key Concepts
existentialism
self‑transcendence
theology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does loving another shape your sense of self?
- Can love be both self‑affirming and self‑sacrificial?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the need for self‑care independent of the beloved.