--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For years mental health professionals…" description: "\"For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/bruce-d-perry-39168_capacity_for-years-mental-health-professionals-ta_8577.png" --- # For years mental health professionals taught people that… ![“For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else will love you.”…The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built…” quote by Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/bruce-d-perry-39168_capacity_for-years-mental-health-professionals-ta_8577.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/bruce-d-perry-39168_capacity_for-years-mental-health-professionals-ta_8577.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/bruce-d-perry-39168_capacity_for-years-mental-health-professionals-ta_8577.png) > “For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else will love you.”…The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation” [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) ## 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 depends on experiencing love from others; it cannot be cultivated in isolation. **In simple terms:** Love is relational, not solitary. Key Takeaway We need connection to love ourselves. Themes psychology relationships self‑esteem attachment mental health Mood hopeful reflective empathetic Type insightful motivational advice When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - family counseling - peer mentorship - community building Key Concepts social support self‑compassion attachment theory interpersonal development Practical Applications - designing relational therapeutic interventions - creating community‑based mental‑health programs Questions to Reflect On - How does social connection shape self‑acceptance? - What practices foster healthy relational love? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Capacity to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity-to-love/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-you/) [Love yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-yourself/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Psychologically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-psychologically-342790/) [Psychologically Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologically-healthy-342787/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-support-342789/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) [Unless Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-loved-342788/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-truth-is-you-cannot-love-yourself-unless-you-have-been-loved-and/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [Nothing has stolen more dreams, dashed more hopes, broken up more families, and messed up more people psychologically than our propensity to disregard God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/nothing-has-stolen-more-dreams-dashed-more-hopes-broken-up-more/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [“Insane people -- psychologically defined, not legally define -- are not in touch with reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/insane-people-psychologically-defined-not-legally-define-are-not-in/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The best-adjusted people are the ‘psychologically patriotic,’ who are glad to be what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-briggs-myers/the-best-adjusted-people-are-the-psychologically-patriotic-who-are/) [Isabel Briggs Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-briggs-myers/) > [Being loved by all is little fun Unless you're also loved by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/being-loved-by-all-is-little-fun-unless-you-re-also-loved-by-one/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [You can never hate strongly unless you have loved strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-pike/you-can-never-hate-strongly-unless-you-have-loved-strongly/) [Christopher Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-pike/) > [The mark of a mature, psychologically healthy mind is indeed the ability to live with uncertainty and ambiguity, but only as much as there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/the-mark-of-a-mature-psychologically-healthy-mind-is-indeed-the/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“On the other hand, if you are ambitious and have a low tolerance for pain, then you are likely setting yourself up for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-b-warring/on-the-other-hand-if-you-are-ambitious-and-have-a-low-tolerance-for/) [Mark B. Warring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-b-warring/) > [I don't think anyone can grow unless he's loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/i-don-t-think-anyone-can-grow-unless-he-s-loved-exactly-as-he-is-now/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“A psychologically healthy person is a person who is able to realize his or her goals and resist external influences on his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andriy-andriychuk/a-psychologically-healthy-person-is-a-person-who-is-able-to-realize/) [Andriy Andriychuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andriy-andriychuk/) > [A psychologically healthy person can, in fact, be defined as someone whose desires actually produce happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/a-psychologically-healthy-person-can-in-fact-be-defined-as-someone/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [And you can't love, not fully, unless you are loved in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/and-you-can-t-love-not-fully-unless-you-are-loved-in-return/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Live an active life closer to nature and you will be physically and psychologically healthy. Team Animism wins again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-white/live-an-active-life-closer-to-nature-and-you-will-be-physically-and/) [Gordon White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-white/) > [“I realized if something happens to him, it happens to me, too. If I love myself, I love him, for we are one. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-realized-if-something-happens-to-him-it-happens-to-me-too-if-i-love/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [There are still many women - and their spouses and children - who view a reflected self - I'm Mrs. Smith, not Mary Smith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-m-bardwick/there-are-still-many-women-and-their-spouses-and-children-who-view-a/) [Judith M Bardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-m-bardwick/) ## More by Bruce D. Perry > [The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely he will be to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are the agents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-more-healthy-relationships-a-child-has-the-more-likely-he-will-be/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [Relationships matter: the currency for systemic change was trust, and trust comes through forming healthy working relationships. People, not programs, change people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/relationships-matter-the-currency-for-systemic-change-was-trust-and/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-truth-is-you-cannot-love-yourself-unless-you-have-been-loved-and/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/relationships-are-the-agents-of-change-and-the-most-powerful-therapy/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-capacity-to-love-cannot-be-built-in-isolation-i/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human brain's alarm response because those who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/across-generations-wariness-of-new-individuals-groups-and-ideas-was/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“When a baby gets hungry and cries his levels of stress hormones will move upward. But if Mom or Dad regularly comes to feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/when-a-baby-gets-hungry-and-cries-his-levels-of-stress-hormones-will/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [More than 35 percent of the children exposed to a single traumatic event will develop serious mental health problems .. The real crisis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/more-than-35-percent-of-the-children-exposed-to-a-single-traumatic/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [It is the rare and strong person that can carry their trauma without having it spill into the next generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/it-is-the-rare-and-strong-person-that-can-carry-their-trauma-without/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“We ignore the emotional needs of young children at our peril.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/we-ignore-the-emotional-needs-of-young-children-at-our-peril/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) [Explore all 11 Bruce D. Perry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) ## More Capacity quotes > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [I was only operating at about 80% of my capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-was-only-operating-at-about-80-of-my-capacity/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The infinity of All ever bringing forth anew, and even as infinite space is around us, so is infinite potentiality, capacity, reception, malleability, matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/the-infinity-of-all-ever-bringing-forth-anew-and-even-as-infinite/) [Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/) [Browse all 3,320 Capacity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else will love you.”…The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. 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