 By definition it can mean loving oneself whereas in philosophy it is a debated theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau that esteem must be found by the approval of others first.Rousseau contrasts it with "amour de soi", which also means "self-love", but which does not involve seeing oneself as others see one.According to Rousseau, "amour de soi" is more primitive and is compatible with wholeness and happiness, while "amour-propre" is an unnatural form of self-love that arose only with the appearance of society and individuals' consequent ability to compare themselves with one another.