What’s The Difference Between Self-Love & Being Conceited?

“To love yourself is to understand that you don’t need to be perfect to be good.”

We all have those days where everything from our outfit to our hair and makeup is on point, so we just have to post that killer selfie because well, we’re feeling ourselves and there’s certainly no shame in that! We also have those days when we scroll through our social media feeds and think to ourselves, “Wow, this person is just TOO into themselves! Do they ever get tired of posting about themselves?” When does a picture or a bunch of words go from displaying a little bit of self-love to being considered conceited? Here we look into the differences between the two.

Defining Self-Love & Conceitedness

Understanding the difference is crucial to begin your journey of self-love.

Self-Love

Self-love and self-care are two ideas commonly tied with better mental health and well-being. Self-love is putting your own happiness first. Also known as self-compassion, it allows us to be more kind and understanding to ourselves, which helps us and others, especially in times of trouble or doubt. When we learn the right tools to love ourselves, we take better care of our mind, body, and spirit.

Conceitedness

We live in a world where when people see a boss babe who puts herself first and practices self-love, they see someone who is conceited and selfish. The line is fine but people who always want to be in the spotlight due to jealousy or the desire to be talked about are conceited. A person’s self-derived vanity can blur their reality, so they feel the need to express hate and judgment instead of focusing on learning how to better themselves from experience.

Self-Love & Conceitedness In Practice

How we approach our everyday lives is the best way to recognize the differences and change our practices.

Judgment

Self-love isn’t taking yoga classes, drinking green juice, and going on trips. But by all means, if that is how you practice self-care, you do you! Self-love goes beyond having an influencer-worthy lifestyle and concentrates on making peace with yourself. You must address and forgive yourself for past traumas, judgments, and insecurities. Our stories make us unique and embracing them is one of the most powerful forms of self-love. A conceited person always needs to be right. Instead of focusing on progress, they focus on what makes them better than others. Where a self-loving person walks in confidence, a conceited person hides behind insecurities and judgment.

Continual Growth

As easy as I wish it was, self-love isn’t an immediate understanding. To grow as a person, we must continually strive to better ourselves as humans. We all have bad days but someone who loves themselves realizes that a bad day is never going to last forever. Conceited people, on the other hand, are often stuck in the past and ruminate on how their bad days are so much worse than anyone else’s bad days. As we learn to love ourselves, we let go of that, “I’m better or worse off than you,” attitude and realize that we all deserve to love ourselves. During the continual growth process, we shrug off the idea of “me, me, me,” and see that we have to fix each other’s crowns because we all deserve to shine. Self-love is not something we just wake up with one day, it is a life-long journey.

Success

How we approach our success, or lack thereof, also helps to draw the distinction between self-love and conceitedness. A self-loving person will recognize their success but not boast about what it took for them to get there. A conceited person will brag about all the opportunities they receive because of their greatness. Self-loving people acknowledge all the people who have helped them to get where they are today, while a conceited person will believe they are solely responsible for their success.

P.S. Love Yourself

Life isn’t just about our accomplishments; it is also about who we are as individuals. Take time for yourself to do something you are passionate about. Realize the love we put out starts from within. To do so, treat yourself how you would treat your friends – with the kindness and encouragement you deserve. While learning self-love isn’t going to be easy, it will be the journey of a lifetime. Take the P.S. Love Yourself Quiz today to find your path!