For one person, it may be the admonition to always put others before oneself. That’s a problem, of course, when such movement isn’t rooted in a healthy, life-giving altruism but stems, instead, from the belief that anything but the total negation of the self risks incurring the wrath of those around us—those charged with keeping us well and whole. For another, though, it might be to always put yourself first, lest you’ll be left with nothing but scraps from the family dinner.
