556、自我之爱就是只希望自己好，希望别人好也仅仅是为了自己的缘故，甚至对教会、国家或任何人类社会也是这样，对他们行善只是为了自己的名声、尊敬和荣耀。除非在对别人发挥的功用中看到这些利益，否则他会在心里说：“这和我有什么关系？我为什么要做这事？我能从中得到什么？”于是他就不去做。显然，在自我之爱中的人并不爱教会、国家和社会，也不爱发挥任何功用，只爱他自己。他的快乐唯独在于爱自己。由于源于爱的快乐构成人的生命，所以他的生命是自私的生命；自私的生命就是从人自我而来的生命，而人的自我就其本质而言，无非是邪恶。
爱自己的人，也爱属于他的一切，具体地说，就是他的子孙；一般来说，就是所有与他构成一体的人，他将这些人称为“他的人”。爱这些人就是爱他自己，因为他视他们仿佛在自己里面，视自己仿佛在他们里面。被称为属于他的这些“他的人”还包括所有称赞、尊敬和膜拜他的人。
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556. 自我之爱就是只愿自己好, 不愿他人好, 除非是为了自己的缘故, 甚至不愿教会, 国家, 或人类社会好. 即便帮助它们, 也只是为了自己的名声, 地位和荣耀. 除非在为了他人利益所发挥的功用中看到这些, 否则他心里会说: “这和我有什么关系? 我为什么要做这事? 我能从中得到什么? ”于是他就去行. 由此可见, 凡陷入自我之爱的人并不爱教会, 国家, 社会, 或任何功用, 只爱他自己. 其快乐唯独在于自我之爱的快乐; 由于源于爱的快乐构成人的生命, 所以其生命是自我的生命; 自我的生命就是从人自己的东西而来的生命, 人自己的东西就其本身而言, 无非是邪恶. 凡爱自己的, 也爱属于他的一切, 具体来说, 就是他的孩子, 孙子; 广泛来说, 就是与他构成一体的所有人, 他将这些人称为“自己人”. 爱这些人, 无论前者还是后者, 实际上就是爱他自己, 因为他视他们仿佛在自己里面, 视自己仿佛在他们里面. 被声称属于他的这些“其他人”还包括所有称赞, 恭敬和崇拜他的人.
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556. 我欲乃是只為自己的利益打算, 不為別人打算, 除非對自己有利。對教會, 國家, 社會, 同樣如此。即便與人為善, 也只是為了自己的名聲, 地位, 榮譽。除非看到這些利益, 否則他們必想著說:"這有什麼意義？我幹嗎去做？與我有什麼關係？"於是將之啟諸腦後。由此可見, 陷入我欲的人並不愛他的教會, 國家, 社會或任何有意義的活動。他們只愛自己, 唯一的樂趣在於滿足個人的欲望。構成人生命的既是欲望與快樂, 那麼他們的生命顯然是自私的。自私的生命只關心他所執著的一切;從本質上說,"自我"全然是惡。
愛自己的人也愛他所執著的一切, 特別是他的孩子以及孩子的孩子, 更廣泛一點, 也包括所有被他稱為"自己人"的社群。愛這些人, 其實就是愛他自己, 因為他將他們視為自己的一部分。另外, 他所認定的"自己人"也包括所有稱讚, 恭敬, 崇拜他的人。
556. Love for oneself is intending well to oneself alone, not to others except for the sake of oneself - not the church, the country, or any human community. It is helping them solely for the sake of one's own reputation and rank and glory. Unless these can be seen in the services we offer, we are saying at heart, "What difference does it make? Why should I? What's in it for me?" So we forget it. We can see from this that people who are absorbed in a love for themselves do not love their church or country or community or any constructive activity. They love only themselves. Their only pleasure lies in self-gratification; and since the pleasure that stems from love constitutes human life, their life is a life of self. A life of self is a life that depends on what we claim as our own, and in its own right what we claim as our own is nothing but evil.
People who love themselves do love their own as well, their own being specifically their children and grandchildren and more broadly all who ally with them, whom they call "their own people." Loving both the former and the latter is actually loving themselves, because they regard the others as though they were in themselves, and focus on themselves in others. These "others" who are claimed as their own include everyone who praises and reveres and worships them.
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556. The love of self is wishing well to oneself alone, and to others only for the sake of self; even to the Church, one's country, or any human society. It consists also in doing good to all these solely for the sake of one's own reputation, honour, and glory; and unless these are seen in the uses he performs to others he says in his heart, "How does it concern me? Why should I do this? What shall I get from it?" And therefore he does not do it. Evidently, then, he who is in the love of self does not love the Church or his country or society, nor any use, but himself alone. His delight is solely the delight of the love of self; and as the delight that comes forth from his love is what makes the life of man, his life is a life of self; and a life of self is a life from man's proprium, and man's proprium, regarded in itself; is nothing but evil. He who loves himself loves also those who belong to him, that is, in particular, his children and grandchildren, and in general, all who are at one with him, whom he calls his. To love them is to love himself; for he regards them as it were in himself; and himself in them. Among those whom he calls his are also all who commend, honour, and pay their court to him.
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556. The love of self is wishing well to oneself alone, and to others only for the sake of self, even to the church, one's country, or any human society. It consists also in doing good to all these solely for the sake of one's own reputation, honor, and glory; and unless these are seen in the uses he performs in behalf of others he says in his heart, How does it concern me? Why should I do this? What shall I get from it? and therefore he does not do it. Evidently, then, he who is in the love of self does not love the church or his country or society, nor any use, but himself alone. His delight is solely the delight of the love of self; and as the delight that comes forth from his love is what constitutes the life of man, his life is a life of self; and a life of self is a life from what is man's own, and what is man's own, regarded in itself, is nothing but evil. He who loves himself loves also those who belong to him, that is, in particular, his children and grandchildren, and in general, all who are at one with him, whom he calls his. To love these is to love himself, for he regards them as it were in himself, and himself in them. Among those whom he calls his are also all who commend, honor, and pay their court to him.
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556. Amor sui est sibi soli bene velle, et non aliis nisi propter se, ne quidem ecclesiae, patriae, aut alicui societati humanae; ut et illis benefacere solum propter sui famam, honorem et gloriam quae nisi videat in usibus quos illis praestat, dicit corde suo, Quid refert? cur hoc? et quid inde mihi?" et sic omittit. Unde patet, quod qui in amore sui est, non amet ecclesiam, nec patriam, nec societatem, nec aliquem usum, sed se solum. jucundum ejus est modo jucundum amoris sui et quia jucundum, quod provenit ex amore, facit vitam hominis, ideo ejus vita est vita sui ac vita sui est vita ex proprio hominis, et proprium hominis in se spectatum non est nisi quam malum. Qui amat se, is etiam amat suos, qui sunt in specie liberi et nepotes ejus, et in genere omnes qui unum cum illo faciunt, quos suos vocat: hos et illos amare est quoque se amare, nam illos spectat quasi in se, et se in illis. Inter illos, quos suos vocat, sunt quoque omnes qui eum laudant, honorant, et colunt.