It’s tempting to think self-love should come free, just for being alive. Innocent prices it differently: “The cost of loving your life is work, sacrifice and dedication. You love that which is worth something to you, that which you invest in.”

The logic is the same as with anything else you own. A thing handed to you in an instant, with no effort of yours in it, is easy to misuse and lose overnight. A life you actively work to sustain and improve is one you can’t help caring about.

So he values himself because he is, in his words, a product of that work. And the line has a sharp edge if you turn it around: if you don’t value your own life, it may be because you’re not doing enough with it yet.