The phrase "Love Yourself" has become a meme now. Some say that this phrase is just used to be fashionable. However, the slogan has important meaning for social minorities such as organizers of Queer Parade, members of support groups for overweight women, and depressed patients in counseling sessions. Why is this phrase, which is considered a boring buzzword for some, seen as a life goal for others? What qualifications do we need in the process of loving ourselves without any restrictions? To find the answer to these questions, I decided to read Sigmund Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents, which is famous for its insightful analysis of self esteem.

Freud argues that happiness begins with self-objectification. According to him, humans create their own self-image by observing the average life of others. In this process, comparisons produce average figures, and people try to follow this average. From Freud's point of view, true 'love myself is difficult to achieve in modern society. We coexist with much more diverse groups of individuals than in the days of Freud, so creating the normal standard through comparison becomes more complex and difficult nowadays. In our current situation, average value can never mean 'normal' and happiness anymore.

It is questionable whether our consciousness has changed as much as the emergence of various egos. It is true that many modern countries are striving to recognize the rights of all members of society through items like constitutional amendments. However, it is the standard of normal that has become so difficult for some when they try to achieve a normal life. In the process of pursuing a normality that has become more complex, the meaning of true 'normalness' has faded, and the voices of those who seek a life provided with a minimum of rights are often being ignored.

Of course the meaning of happiness is qualitatively and quantitatively different, from various points of views and conditions. However, ignoring others and depriving them of ordinary lives is different from the achievement of one's own progress. For example, if all my basic living conditions have been met, I need to take a step forward for the voices of those whose conditions have not been met. Delaying my commute by 10 minutes, due to protesters demanding subway facilities for the disabled, has a small effect on my life. But for them, protesting can be a means to acquire the basic right to go to work in the morning like any other ordinary person. Likewise, my breakfast bread may be a little hard due to the strike by the bakery workers of a conglomerate, but it could help these workers guarantee one hour of meal time out of 12 hours of work a day. Things that many of us take for granted can be desperate hopes for others, and it is selfish that we hold back basic requirements just for our simple conveniences.

Of course, being late for school is annoying. Also, low quality bread and morning news showing painful photos union workers on hunger strike (Currently, workers at bread conglomerate SPC are on hunger strike to gain minimum hours for breaktime) may make my morning hours gloomy. But these kinds of inconveniences cannot be compared to the hardships that some people experience in life. Therefore, we should pay attention to those shouting "Love yourself" for their normal and happy life.

Forming a strong self is the first step for loving oneself, and we all need a safe place for achieving normal happiness. Society should ensure an environment in which everyone can love themselves in their respective positions, regardless of identity. Here, society does not simply mean government agencies. Although Freud did not recognize the equal rights of various members of society, he argues that individual opinions can be gathered to form public opinion and make social change. As he said, we must gather our voices so that everyone can lead a normal life. In a rapidly changing modern society, we cannot speak for only one group of voices. We must recognize the various intersections of society, and understand that the spectrum of happiness is wide. We can all become mainstream or minority according to various criteria. Just as we want to live a similar life to someone we envy, we need to know that some are fighting for the basic rights we unconsciously enjoy.

Stepping one step back for the basic life of others is not depriving me ofmy rights, but a step forward in protecting all in a safe society together.

"Love yourself" is a kind of general advice. We cannot exactly pinpoint what the misfortunes and joys of others are. However, we know that our stable life cannot last forever in a society that does not even guarantee the basic rights of others. Therefore, supporting people who really need love for themselves and working for their happiness is the true key to ensuring a safe environment for 'love myself.'

 

Reporter,

Yougyeong Yoon geannie0611@seoultech.ac.kr

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• e-mail : geannie0611@seoultech.ac.kr