I realize I care a lot about what people might think of me. I have my own worldviews, but I feel an almost paralyzing fear of not being "politically correct." My mind starts ruminating, questioning everything I think, and since I have little self-confidence, I end up doubting my own opinions. Often I validate the other person's position more, even if it causes me anguish.
I try to reassure myself by remembering that I don't defend anything destructive nor do I commit anything serious. Still, the doubt remains: "What if I'm wrong?" And even if I were, I believe there should be justice and responsibility, but not dehumanization—neither of myself nor of anyone else.
Biblically, I also understand that self-love is not selfishness or self-exaltation, but the recognition that I was created by God and carry dignity for being His image.
Furthermore, I believe that every human being—including the sinner who is still far from God—possesses a biblical basis for some degree of self-love, not as spiritual self-sufficiency, but as recognition of intrinsic dignity. In Genesis 1:27 we see that humankind was created in the image of God. This image is affected by sin, but not annulled. Therefore, there is still value, moral responsibility, and dignity in the human person. Texts such as Psalm 139 also point to the intentional and careful formation of each life. Thus, I understand that recognizing this value is not idolatry of the self, but coherence with the doctrine of creation. Self-love, in this sense, is recognizing one's own condition as a dependent, fallen creature, but still bearing the divine image—and therefore not destined for absolute self-contempt.
These complex themes trouble me because, when someone takes a position with too much certainty, it triggers me. I ruminate for hours or days, questioning what I already know, as if my own perception were unreliable.
I try to reassure myself by remembering that I don't defend anything destructive nor do I commit anything serious. Still, the doubt remains: "What if I'm wrong?" And even if I were, I believe there should be justice and responsibility, but not dehumanization—neither of myself nor of anyone else.
Biblically, I also understand that self-love is not selfishness or self-exaltation, but the recognition that I was created by God and carry dignity for being His image.
Furthermore, I believe that every human being—including the sinner who is still far from God—possesses a biblical basis for some degree of self-love, not as spiritual self-sufficiency, but as recognition of intrinsic dignity. In Genesis 1:27 we see that humankind was created in the image of God. This image is affected by sin, but not annulled. Therefore, there is still value, moral responsibility, and dignity in the human person. Texts such as Psalm 139 also point to the intentional and careful formation of each life. Thus, I understand that recognizing this value is not idolatry of the self, but coherence with the doctrine of creation. Self-love, in this sense, is recognizing one's own condition as a dependent, fallen creature, but still bearing the divine image—and therefore not destined for absolute self-contempt.
These complex themes trouble me because, when someone takes a position with too much certainty, it triggers me. I ruminate for hours or days, questioning what I already know, as if my own perception were unreliable.
