Maybe love one's self (3)
I believe the answer is:
ego
'self' is the definition.
(synonyms)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ego that I've seen before include "One's self image" , "In Virgil I" , "Person's sense of self" , "Vowel to disappear, < say another" , "See 21 Down" .)