Love - The Universal Language

During a recent conversation with a dear friend, the topic 'love' came up. She mentioned agape, eros, phila and storge as the different types of love, and went further to try to explain them. Truly, I was completely lost! I sincerely did not understand these concepts and so I tried in vain to refute the whole idea.

When I got home, I quickly went to my computer and what did I find? Wikipedia agrees with her! The world has divided the ONE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE into "types" and "forms". Oh my God!

I tried to read so as to get the sense of the "types" and "forms" of love as the world (evidently) understands it. I summarize my findings thus:

Agape: (unconditional love). This is the general affection or deeper sense of "true love", rather than the physical attraction suggested by eros. Agape was appropriated by Christians for use to express the unconditional love of God.

Eros: (passion). This is a passionate love, with a sensual desire and longing.

Philia: (friendship). This is a dispassionate, virtuous love, including loyalty to friends, family, and community. The key word here is virtue.

Storge: (affection). This is the natural affection, like that felt by parents for their offspring.

Now, I have already lamented that mankind has divided the ONE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE into "types" and "forms". To buttress that, I ask: what is the difference between storge (affection) and agape (unconditional love)? How else do you describe the love felt by parents for their offspring except "unconditional love"?

Furthermore, eros is defined as a passionate love with a sensual desire and longing. Do those words not better describe lust? If I only feel a desire to have sexual intimacy with a person have I not made that person an object to relieve my sexual tension? If I have eros for a person, could I still try to hurt that person through my words and actions? If yes, could that reasonably be described as love? Has the whole world gone mad?

To avoid plunging further into the confusion that is all around us, let us now look at love. The true meaning of love.

Love is the binding, pacifying quality inherent in man. Love brings out the beautiful, caring, giving, enduring and trusting side in even the most hardened of men. Men feel a void in them when starved of love, and then glow with fulfillment when showered with it. Love is not a feeling in your heart; it is a state of mind. Love connects people with each other, and with the divine.

It is the lack of this simple understanding that destroys many a home today. They think that love is feeling in their hearts, or a possession in their pockets. For this reason many young women have their hearts turned into stone by young men who know no better.

Anyways, we do not need a hundred definitions. Love is one UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

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