David Cain wrote This Will Never Happen Again. It’s not a long book. I recommend it if you have an hour to take some solid perspective. I’d also recommend his blog.
In the book, he says this,
"Theoretically, if you know what you love, then every time you make a decision, you’ll have a pretty damn clear idea if it’s taking you closer or further away from what you love. You’ll know the right thing to do. So self-love is a moral issue. It consists of doing the right thing."
It’s an interesting reframe. It makes loving yourself and what you do a moral issue. If we accept that loving our fellow humans is required for morality, and I do, why don’t we view loving ourselves as a moral obligation too?
Takeaways:
Loving yourself is now a moral imperative.
Recognize when decisions take you closer or farther from what you love.
I’ll leave you with this scene from the pursuit of happiness.
And before you go, please remember this is an important day. It is a day that saw our world change forever. Please consider taking time to honor those who fell on 9/11. Also, don’t forget the hundreds of thousands the world lost over the next two decades.
War means no one wins - when we love each other, we all win.
And for those carrying scars, grief, and loss - you aren’t alone. Stay strong, and please let me know if I can help.
A Moral Imperative