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In Two and a Half Men pilot, Jake and Charlie had a conversation after Alan decided to move to their mother's.

Jake: "How come you don't have any kids?"

Charlie: "I don't know. Maybe because I love me more than anything in the world."

Grammatically, Charlie should have said "I love myself", right? Is it a common mistake in daily conversation?

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  • No, me is correct. It's the object of the sentence. It's not a mistake at all. (Myself is also correct.)
    – Jason Bassford
    Jul 27, 2020 at 1:38
  • @JasonBassford Do they mean the same thing in this context?
    – JQQ
    Jul 27, 2020 at 1:46
  • Yes, they both mean the same thing in this context.
    – Jason Bassford
    Jul 27, 2020 at 1:49
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    Really? I have only ever heard me used like this in a joshing context. There may be nothing wrong with it grammatically but we usually use the reflexive pronouns: I love myself, you love yourself he/she/it loves him/her/it-self, we love ourselves, they love themselves. It's the same as any other verb: I cut myself. Don't blame yourself etc. Have you heard you love you? We love us?? They love them???
    – Old Brixtonian
    Jul 27, 2020 at 5:16
  • I agree with @OldBrixtonian: the normal choice is myself. I think there has been a rise in I love me with the growth of personal development programmes, but I would still call it a marked form: marked for humour or special emphasis.
    – Colin Fine
    Jul 30, 2020 at 10:26

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As you have pointed out, it's usually worded "I love myself" instead of "I love me". In fact, almost always. You ought to use the reflexive in such a case.

However, this is not a mistake. Quite the contrary. It's a humorous situation, somewhat in the same spirit as referring to oneself "in the third-person".

"because Charlie loves himself, that's why".

Anyway, if Charlie had said "myself" it would have been too correct, too serious, and therefore not right for the line*.

( * A "line" in a television show or movie is what's being spoken by an actor. Definition: "A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie or the like.")

Is it a common mistake in daily conversation?

No, these words are rarely mixed up by mistake.

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  • Thank you. Does "not right for the line" mean "not right in this context"? I googled "for the line" but didn't get any explanation of it.
    – JQQ
    Jul 30, 2020 at 11:56
  • @JQQ , updated answer.
    – Sam
    Jul 30, 2020 at 12:26
  • Thank you so much. In conclusion, "I love me" is more humorous than "I love myself" in this particular company, right?
    – JQQ
    Jul 30, 2020 at 13:10
  • @JQQ, right, it's funnier (in this particular dialogue).
    – Sam
    Jul 30, 2020 at 13:19

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