Live For Others? Live For Self?
Bob Marley once said,
“Live for yourself, you will live in vain. Live for others, you will live again.”
What a mantra to live by!
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,
“It’s easy to live for others, everybody does. I call on you to live for yourself.”
Should we live for others or for ourselves?
These two sayings might sound contradictory. Marley is saying we should live for others. Emerson seems to say that we should live for ourselves.
To complicate the matter, here’s what Jesus said,
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Verdict?
- You should live for others. (Marley wins?) Don’t be selfish. Don’t live a greedy life. You may like living for self at first. But a self-centered life is not sustainable. You will indeed feel empty and hallow in the long run.
- However, you won’t be able to live for others unless you know how to love yourself first. (Emerson?) You can’t give what you don’t have. How can you love others if you don’t even take care of yourself? Only those who love themselves are able to love others.
- Hence, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Makes perfect sense, right?
Loving others and loving self don’t have to contradict. They can complement.
Love of self without love of others is despicable. It’s a selfish act that ruins your life in the end.
Love of others without love of self is ludicrous. It’s another selfish act that is not genuine.
Love your neighbor as yourself. This is realistic. This is practical. And, dare I say, this is romantic.
Post scriptum: When Emerson said, “I call on you to live for yourself.” It could mean for you to live your life, not the life that others expect of you. You need to live your life ultimately.
Post post scriptum: Guess what comes before Jesus’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind (and strength)!” Meaning, you learn to love others and yourself by loving God above all.
The fact that Jesus “commanded” his audience to love is interesting. The assumption behind the love command is the fact that God first loved them. Remember. We can’t give what we don’t have. Jesus couldn’t have given us a command to love God, our neighbors, and ourselves unless it was God who first loved us all. Chew on that. ;)
