There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved. -George sand
types of love
Most people can love those who love them in return. They can love a lot and they can love little. They can love one person more than they love another. Love can be strong or it can be weak. There are different degrees and intensities of love just as there are different types of love. Love for family is different from love for friendships. Some loves are characterized by greed or vainglory. And there is divine or spiritual love. This is the highest form of love in that it is perfect and supreme. This love comes from God because God is love. The ability to give and receive love is the greatest of all human qualities because its source is divine.
In the English language we only have one word to describe the various types of love; that is, the word “love”. In Greek, there are three different words to describe love: eros, phileo, and agape. Each one describes a different expression of love.
o Eros love has to do with sensuality. It is physical and erotic. Years to have his own hunger satisfied.
o Phileo love transcends physical desire. It is the normal human affection towards any person or thing that is pleasant or satisfying. Phileo is emotional and unpredictable. It lasts as long as it is rewarded. However, once the pleasure or desire is gone, so is the phileo.
o Agape love is an unconditional and generous love. He is active and motivated by what he can do for others, and does not expect anything in return. It is not based on feelings, but is constant and stable. You can love when you are hated. You can give freely regardless of one’s attractiveness or value.
The different types of love help us distinguish between giving and self-actualization. Understanding the different types of love can help us understand the maturity and motives of our love. It can also help us appreciate that a healthy balance of these three types of love can be the ingredients of some very happy and successful relationships.
REFLECTION
o Think about the people you love. What is different about the way you love each of them?
o If you had to make a list of the people you love, who would be at the top of your list? The bottom?
o Review the 3 types of love (eros, phileo and agape). Describe your experience of each. Which is more dominant in your life and your relationships?
o Do you feel like you have a good balance of the different types of love? Or do you want more or less of one or more types?
o If you had to define love, how would you describe it?
THOUGHTS AND AFFIRMATIONS THAT EMPOWER…
There is more than one way to say I LOVE YOU.
I can know love in a deeper way as I learn to discern its attributes.