predator and prey

One the greatest mistakes that we can make in life is to place our fear above the love of others. We respond to statements of our beauty with accusations of our ugliness, as if our admirers themselves are to blame for our lack of self-love. We respond to compliments of our high points with reminders of our failings, as if our mission is to cut ourselves down to scale. These are not signs of humility, they are symptoms of self-hate. We refuse to be loved as much as we are. We wrap ourselves around our faults in a parasitic relationship, reminding everyone we know about all that we are missing. You can see it so easily in the people you meet. They are the ones that talk about their flaws in a first conversation, desperate to point them out before you can. They will never again be insulted by a stranger. Arming their tongues for a pre-emptive strike, they will do everything they can to destroy themselves first. Nobody wants to get hurt, but that's no reason to hurt others for thinking highly of you. It's hard enough to love as it is.

Done