Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers around the world........May your day be filled with one of the many kinds of love!
Eros: Romantic or passionate love, people let go of their boundaries and get very physically and emotionally involved. Named after Eros, the Greek god of love and desire.
Philia: This is affectionate love, like the love felt for close friends and family. A love between equals, those connected by the mind, and those who have shared hard times. Named from the Greek philosopher Plato (the idea of platonic friendships).
Agape (uh-gape): A selfless unconditional love for others, known as universal love. A spiritual kind of love, involving enormous empathy. Perhaps the highest form of love.
Pragma: A long-lasting love, or enduring love in relationships. It's a committed, compassionate love that has endured and matured over time and has genuine meaning.
Philautia (fuh-LAH-dee-uh): Love of the self, or self-respect. The ancient Greeks thought that loving yourself meant you had a wider capacity to love others--something that is desperately needed in today's world. Aristotle said, "All friendly feelings for others are an extension of a man's feelings for himself." There is a negative type of self-love...self-obsessed narcissism.
Storge (store-gae): Family love, or the love felt for parents, siblings and other family members or old friends that feel like family. Involves safety, security and support for one another, as well as the joy that comes from having shared memories.
Ludus: Playful love, involves teasing, joking and bantering. Typically doesn't involve serious emotional attachment or commitment.
Mania: Obsessive love, or co-dependency, which can lead to jealousy and possessiveness. Now considered to be symptoms of an unhealthy or a toxic relationship, rather than being a positive kind of love.
Valentine's Day is a chance to consider just how rich, diverse and beneficial every form of love is in the human experience, whether it comes from family, friends, pets, neighbors or community.