Pope Francis said a world dominated by narcissism with little room for selfless love is like hell, speaking during his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's Square.
"Can you imagine a world where everybody is begging for a reason to get someone's attention and no one is willing to love another person for free? Can you imagine a world like this, without free love? It looks like a human world but it is actually hell", the pontiff said.
Many types of narcissism "stem from a feeling of loneliness, even orphanhood".
The pope noted that "nobody can live without love", adding that believing that love has to be deserved is a bad form of "slavery".
"Perhaps a good portion of the anguish of contemporary men derives from this: thinking that if we aren't strong, attractive and beautiful then nobody will take care of us".
The pontiff also said at one point that the feeling of being unloved in a teen can lead to violence.
"There is often a heart that has not been recognized behind many forms of social hatred and hooliganism.
"Evil children don't exist, there are no adolescents who are entirely evil, but unhappy people exist".
The "medicine to change an unhappy person's heart is love", the pontiff observed, calling on his audience to show affection.
A hug shows love and makes someone "feel desired, important and they will stop being sad".
Love leads to more love "in a stronger way than hatred calls death", the pontiff said.
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