How can anyone be compassionate toward her neighbor
who is not compassionate toward herself?
This is why Jesus says: "Be compassionate!"
He wants our compassion to begin at home,
he wants us to be compassionate toward our own body
and soul.
Everyone loves himself or herself to some degree.
To do otherwise is to fool yourself.
For if you hated yourself, you would cease to exist.
Since friendly relations with another
spring from friendly relations with yourself,
you should meditate on how it is that
the soul loves the body.
And consider too how it is that
the body is more in the soul
than the soul is in the body.