↖ Homepage of the site 'What to do with your life?'
      

Why is love for one's neighbor not a solid foundation for living well together?

Le véritable travail de base, c'est de se débarrasser de ses croyances et de ses peurs, pour enfin accepter de prendre en compte les faits qui dérangent.

Let us recall the four steps of an effective problem-solving process:  
1. Recognize the problem.  
2. Conduct a thorough analysis.  
3. Develop a solution, often partial.  
4. Implement it.  
Getting rid of one's beliefs is the basic tool for conducting an unbiased, thorough analysis.  
Getting rid of one's fears is the basic tool for implementing a solution with determination, and often also for having the courage to recognize the problem.

Indeed, self-deception can lead what the author perceives as an act of love to have a negative, even devastating, effect on the recipient.  
And when the author is somewhat psychopathic, this becomes general; loving the other becomes equivalent to merging with them, leaving in the end only oneself.

Moreover, a lack of courage leads love for one's neighbor to be primarily expressed through good intentions and prayers, which can be likened to 'moral greenwashing'.

The voice of devotion (loving God, loving one's neighbor) thus appears as a particularly demanding path. It implies a low level of social ambition, to avoid self-deception as a result of cognitive dissonance, as well as a great deal of courage, to be translated into action. It is therefore likely reserved for a very small number of individuals with very specific predispositions.

Dive deeper

The question 'The Myth of Listening and Good Atmosphere' presents another facet of illusory altruism.  
Consult the question 'What should one do to be a good person?'