Erich Fromm's 1939 essay, "Selfishness and Self-Love", critically examines the prevalent cultural taboo against self-love, tracing its roots back to Calvinist theology and Kant's philosophy. Fromm argues that this taboo, which equates self-love with selfishness, has been detrimental to the development of a healthy sense of self and has fuelled a pervasive anxiety and hostility in modern society. He then delves into the psychological underpinnings of hatred and love, arguing that both are not inherently antithetical to self-love, but rather are expressions of underlying character structures. Ultimately, Fromm advocates for a redefinition of self-love as a necessary component of genuine love and happiness, as opposed to the destructive "selfishness" promoted by cultural norms.