I've been thinking about this a bit since I posted yesterday...
"Hate" is a strong word and carries overly negative connotations. I don't think I hate myself. There's a laundry list of things I'd like to change about myself -- but the core of my personality I actually like.
My first reaction to "Do you hate yourself?" was a fervent "Yes!" -- but that response, I think, was formed from a habit of self-deprecating.
I wonder how many of us in this thread have confused low self-esteem or low self-worth with personal hatred. While the former might lead to the latter, I think it's important to note the distinction between the two.
Exactly. I was thinking of this too and I realized it was a nonsense. I know for certain that I am not angry at myself, neither think I am inferior. I am sure that I lack much of smartness and knowledge and skills of others, don't know why I should be inferior because of that though. I am painfully aware of all (or most) of my shortcomings but this doesn't mean that I don't have sense of personal dignity. Equaly I hate if someone mocks me or someone else for not knowing what they do or thinking of people who are less smart as inferior. It happened to me a few times before that I greatly admired someone for being educated or having skills etc., until they started to look at me as inferior because I didn't know what they did. If something such happens, no matter how smart they are I loose all respect for them.
I also think, our skills and knowledge don't really define who we are... it is somehow not important. I can remember a story of a man who put years of effort into learning how to levitate. Then he was proud that he could walk on water. Someone told him, oh what a waste of time, easier to take a boat. The thing with this story is, the man was working for years only on his own self improvement, to show others how great he was. He was cultivating his ego, but in my opinion we are here on earth rather to loose it, become more humble and unimportant. Because our ego, our importance, is just a dust in the wind. As Jesus said (don't beat me up for a religious reference, I just quote it just because it makes sense to me), whoever wants to retain his life will loose it, but who will loose it for me will live forever. Now insert "ego" instead of life, and "others" instead of Jesus.
With unimportant I don't mean we should become doormatish or give up trying, quite on the contrary, but at the same time we should be aware of relative importance of our pursuits. There is a proverb "we should act as if it depended on everything, yet inside sits a small Buddha who doesn't care about anything". We should do anything within our power, but at the same time don't get too proud of it and be aware that it doesn't make us the centre of the world. We shouldn't identify us much with what we achieved, or with our beauty, posessions etc.
Because who are you? Is it your body? Is it young and beautiful now? A bit ahead of time, it will be old and ugly, and a bit more later even decaying under earth. Is it your emotions? You feel happiness, saddness, anger, love, but it's all passing. What you feel today, you may not tomorrow. So how can this be the real you? Or are you proud of your intellect? A calculator or a smart machine or trained animal can be able to do the same. You might even be a smart businessman and gain riches in your life, but that's only what you did for your body and for your ego. Therefore, it all gets lost and what remains... We people have ephemeral lives, that's why it seems a bit pathetic how we dwell on our little egos and self-importance. What will a pretty young girl who based all her self worth on her beauty do when she gets old? There must be more than it or not?
If someone says: I love myself, or I hate myself, I am sure you just mean your ego. You cannot love or hate your real inner being, since this is innocent, pure, there is no love (the kind of love we know, but the more unconditional kind) or hate, yet there is wisdom, balance, endless patience...
