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"You can't love somebody else until you love yourself."

.....Why not?

I suppose this debate might have to get into the "definition of love", but my biggest concern is the above. Why can't you feel a deep emotional attachment to someone before you feel the same thing for yourself? What about romantic love; do I need to love myself romantically?

This saying might be referring to the need to respect yourself before you get emotionally attached but A) Respect isn't love and B) Why can't you love someone else if you don't respect yourself?

I think it's more aimed at the ability to express love. If you are embarrassed of something, especially with your lover, you're afraid to let go with them, hindering your ability to "love them".

Okay, sure. I can see where not loving yourself would perhaps hinder others in loving you. But the question remains, why can't you still love them? I disagree that it is a requirement for either party to fully accept the other, either. It's agreeable, sure. But a neccessity for love?

You bring up a point that I've come across before, and that is "Without loving yourself, a love for another person isn't love, simply obsession."

But I don't know if I agree with this. There are many forms of love. Platonic, familial, romantic.

And I'm not so sure we can even discredit obsession as being an expression of love.

Oh I severely doubt that not loving yourself nullifies your ability to love others, but it may make things sticky. What I was thinking, is that if you don't love yourself, you would wonder/doubt that anyone else could/does love you. That's some of what I struggle with. I can, and have loved people profoundly, but relationships may be impaired by self-loathing.