--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Self-love is the foundation of our loving…" description: "\"Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/bell-hooks-464_effort_self-love-is-the-foundation-of-our-lovin_2517930.jpg" --- # Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice… ![“Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with the opportunity to have the unconditional love we may have always longed to receive from someone else.” quote by Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/bell-hooks-464_effort_self-love-is-the-foundation-of-our-lovin_2517930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/bell-hooks-464_effort_self-love-is-the-foundation-of-our-lovin_2517930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/620/bell-hooks-464_effort_self-love-is-the-foundation-of-our-lovin_2517930.jpg) > “Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with the opportunity to have the unconditional love we may have always longed to receive from someone else.” [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑love is the essential base for any loving relationship; without it, other attempts at love are unstable. **In simple terms:** Self‑love is needed before we can truly love others. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑compassion first. Themes self‑love relationships emotional health Mood reflective hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal growth workshops - daily self‑care routines - mindful meditation Key Concepts attachment theory unconditional love self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice self‑love daily? - What barriers stop you from accepting unconditional love? A Different Perspective Self‑love alone may not fix external relational patterns without broader work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-love/) [I love myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-love-myself/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Love my self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-my-self/) [Love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-you/) [Love yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-yourself/) [Loving myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-myself/) [Loving Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-practice-1220894/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/) [Unconditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconditional/) [Unconditional love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconditional-love/) ## Related quotes > [I've finally stopped running away from myself. Who else is there better to be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/i-ve-finally-stopped-running-away-from-myself-who-else-is-there/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [I love myself for I am a beloved child of the universe and the universe lovingly takes care of me now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-love-myself-for-i-am-a-beloved-child-of-the-universe-and-the/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/you-must-love-yourself-before-you-love-another-by-accepting-yourself/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [My willingness to be intimate with my own deep feelings creates the space for intimacy with another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/my-willingness-to-be-intimate-with-my-own-deep-feelings-creates-the/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I had to grow to love my body. I did not have a good self-image at first. Finally it occurred to me, I'm either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/i-had-to-grow-to-love-my-body-i-did-not-have-a-good-self-image-at/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [The giving of love and understanding is an education in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-giving-of-love-and-understanding-is-an-education-in-itself/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The biggest obstacle I've had to overcome is loving myself 100%. And that's still a battle. I love myself, but sometimes you can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-epps/the-biggest-obstacle-i-ve-had-to-overcome-is-loving-myself-100-and/) [Mike Epps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-epps/) > [If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is ugliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/if-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-so-is-ugliness/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [My primary relationship is with myself- all others are mirrors of it. As I learn to love myself, I automatically receive the love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/my-primary-relationship-is-with-myself-all-others-are-mirrors-of-it/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/i-say-that-the-most-liberating-thing-about-beauty-is-realizing-that/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [You either like me or you don't... it took me twenty-something years tolearn how to LoVe my self.. I don't have that kinda time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-d-r-l-testament/you-either-like-me-or-you-don-t-it-took-me-twenty-something-years/) [Junior Dè Rèál Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-d-r-l-testament/) > [I love my self the way I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kimani/i-love-my-self-the-way-i-am/) [Paul Kimani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kimani/) > [As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/as-i-began-to-love-myself-i-found-that-anguish-and-emotional/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I LOVE MY SELF AND MY OTHER PEOLES TOO!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-babygrul/i-love-my-self-and-my-other-peoles-too/) [La Babygrul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-babygrul/) > [ALL HATERS YOU COLUD LOVE ME OR BE JUDGE FORM ME I DONT CARE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-haters-you-colud-love-me-or-be-judge-form-me-i-dont-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bell Hooks > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Most folks believe we are hardwired biologically to long for sex but they do not believe we are hardwired to long for love. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/most-folks-believe-we-are-hardwired-biologically-to-long-for-sex-but/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [... we need to interrogate "reverence," for idolization can be another way one is objectified and not really taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/we-need-to-interrogate-reverence-for-idolization-can-be-another-way/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Couples who rarely or never have sex can know lifelong love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/couples-who-rarely-or-never-have-sex-can-know-lifelong-love/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The power of patriarchy has been to make maleness feared and to make men feel that it is better to be feared that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-power-of-patriarchy-has-been-to-make-maleness-feared-and-to-make/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“I feel enormously blessed to be a successful black woman writer in this culture, but I have found my small fame, such as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-feel-enormously-blessed-to-be-a-successful-black-woman-writer-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Language is also a place of struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/language-is-also-a-place-of-struggle/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [In this culture, the phrase 'black woman' is not synonymous with 'tender,' or 'gentle.' It's as if those words couldn't possibly speak to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/in-this-culture-the-phrase-black-woman-is-not-synonymous-with-tender/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It's interesting to look at all the aspects where everyday Americans, many of whom are not college educated, are thinking deeply now about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-interesting-to-look-at-all-the-aspects-where-everyday-americans/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The true teacher is within us. A good teacher is someone who can help you to go back and touch the true teacher within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-true-teacher-is-within-us-a-good-teacher-is-someone-who-can-help/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Advancing the notion that there can be many "feminisms" has served the conservative and liberal political interests of women seeking status and privileged class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/advancing-the-notion-that-there-can-be-many-feminisms-has-served-the/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I love my family, even as I critique their dysfunctionalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-love-my-family-even-as-i-critique-their-dysfunctionalities/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [You must have courage to love, you have to have a profound will to do what is right to love, and it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/you-must-have-courage-to-love-you-have-to-have-a-profound-will-to-do/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-truly-love-we-must-learn-to-mix-various-ingredients-care-affection/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/often-emphasis-on-identity-and-lifestyle-is-appealing-because-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) [Explore all 541 Bell Hooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More Effort quotes > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-love-a-pocket-i-m-about-helping-women-look-as-good-as-possible-on/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) [Dayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayana/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) [Browse all 8,602 Effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. 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