Identify different kinds of love

10/3/2017

I love my mother…. I love my baby…. I love my cat… I love my friend… I love my husband…. And yet, none of these feelings of love are the same.

The Greek language has specific names for specific kinds of love –

If we could use these words…

After being married for twenty years the Smith-couple still eros each other.
Ann and Agnes are the best of friends. Their philia for each other is remarkable.
Because John ludus many women he is labelled as a womaniser and disloyal husband.
Some people believe that Mother Theresa was a perfect representative of God because she used to agape everybody and all.
Peter and July celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary. If only their pragma for each other went without saying in every marriage.
Sandra philautia herself in a healthy way, while her sister is a narcissist.
Is the storge grandmothers feel for their grandchildren the same as the storge mothers feel for their children? I believe there is a difference, and it is rooted in the fact that mothers expect too much of their children while grandmothers accept their grandchildren just the way they are. And let’s contemplate the intense storge some people feel for their pets. Words like ‘affection’ and ‘adoration’ fall in the same category.
The mania Luke feels for Betty is going to turn their relationship into a hell. I mean, who wants to be saddled up with a jealous, obsessive boyfriend?

Why do we use a heart as a symbol for love?

The brain is the only organ that instigates the release of chemicals that arouse feelings and emotions. When our senses are delighted by an external object, chemicals such as dopamine, testosterone, estrogen, norepinephrine, serotonin, vasopressin, and oxytocin are being released. The effect of these chemicals is a warm, swelling feeling in our heart. So obviously a heart is the most suitable symbol for love.

This reminds me of a song that was once upon a time one of my favorites songs -

Until next week,
Martie

ShoutOuts

@ warnerwords: Practical-help-from-utter-despair
@ marcoujor: Highlighting-Cynthia-Sageleaf
@ artistrywithwords: Your-story-your-history

18 Comments

Rasma Raisters link

10/4/2017 10:29:21 am

And then there comes a moment when love becomes just a word with a definition among many other in the dictionary. BTW I was a great David Cassidy fan in my teens thanks for the memories with that song.

Martie link

10/4/2017 09:30:31 pm

Dear Rasma

Sadly, too many people take love for granted, as if it is something like oxygen provided by nature. I believe love - all kinds of love - is like an animal in our psyche that needs to be fed. If we feed it with negative thoughts, it will grow into a dangerous monster. Too many of the latter roam this earth!

I am so sad about David Cassidy's battle with dementia. He is only 66, if I have my facts in line...

Angelia is link

10/4/2017 02:39:27 pm

Martie

This made for a fun little language workshop. I don't know if it'll result in a new trend but now, every time I hear the words eros and agape, I'll remember this. ☺️

Martie link

10/4/2017 09:46:22 pm

Angelia,

We have a congregation of Christians who calls their church Agápe. After all, it is the most divine love.

I'm sending you tons of philia :)

Nell Rose link

10/4/2017 03:08:19 pm

But did you know that the heart also has neurons on it the same as the brain? in other words when you hurt emotionally your heart hurts too, literally! great stuff Martie!

Martie link

10/4/2017 09:58:33 pm

Hi Nell,

No, I didn't know the heart can activate the release of chemicals. But I know negative chemicals can cause heart-failure. Many people die from what we refer to as a broken heart. When I am sad and unhappy my heart feels extremely heavy and cold. Not to talk about the painful heaviness caused by stress and anxiety. I will read some more about the functions of the heart. Thanks to medical research and experiments we are learning new things daily.

Take care, dear Nell! Terrorists and lunatics are wreaking havoc all over the world.

William Holland link

10/4/2017 03:56:12 pm

But the brain isn't very romantic, is it? It just doesn't carry the same weight as that heart symbol after writing something really loving. :) Fun read, my friend, about my favorite topic.

Martie link

10/4/2017 10:11:56 pm

William, in the far past people believed that the heart was the organ with all the functions of what we know today is actually the functions of the brain. In some cultures the heart of a dead person had to be eaten by the one (or more) who wanted to obtain the dead person's wisdom and knowledge. The hearts of the Pharaohs were also removed and treated in a special way before the body was mummified.

There are many segments in the brain, each with its own function. The ability to be romantic, too, is up there between your ears ♫♫ ♥ ♥

Mike

10/4/2017 06:34:58 pm

Hello Martie - "Love this," he said tongue in cheek.

Martie

10/4/2017 10:16:34 pm

And she laughed out loud because his opinions count.

Love you too, Mike ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥

Maria link

10/5/2017 01:04:55 pm

This post is right on time, dear Martie - this world needs a big boost of love, sweet love.

Love you and all you do, mar

Martie link

10/7/2017 08:51:31 am

Hi dear Maria

Spreading love should be every person's mission. Love you too. my dearest sfam ♥♥♥

Rolly A. Chabot link

10/6/2017 12:33:32 am

Hi Martie:

Excellent choice of words which need to be placed into action. Thank you for sharing.

Hugs from Canada

Martie link

10/7/2017 08:58:47 am

Hi Rolly,

I'm sending you tons of philia from a country where only acts of hate are being considered as 'news'. Imagine if we hear more good news, would we not feel inspired to love and respect our fellowman?

Nellieanna Hay link

10/7/2017 09:44:14 am

This is most interesting, and such a welcome focus amidst so much ugliness and hatred currently in session everywhere!

I can't remember when I became aware long, long ago, - of the terms eros, philia and agape, but I automatically associate them with those forms of love.

It's surely no coincidence that in religions and in romance, the term 'hardened heart' has significance. Yet, much emotion is instigated in the brain. I kind of like to think of a person being 'of a whole piece', with it all working together, whether for the better or the worse, although the 'worse' seems to result in a 'split' or fragmentation of the 'wholeness'.

Anyway, It's nearly 3AM, but when I was giving the computer a last look, after watching a movie onTV, and saw your post, I had to come check it out! Glad I did!

Martie link

10/8/2017 09:16:25 am

Dearest Nellieanna,

In the beginning people believed that they obtain knowledge and wisdom through their heart. Even today we clearly FEEL that some of our convictions are rooted in our heart, while others are established in our brain via experience and indoctrination.

Modern people have another idea - that the brain has two halves, and what we think comes from the heart actually comes from the right half of our brain. And so forth...

Fact is, if scientists don't convince us with the credible results of their experiments that some things are facts, we will keep on believing whatever our 'heart' tells us is true.

All of this confusion because our body contains a nervous system and glands discharging chemicals of all sorts.

Anyway, dear Nellienanne, I love you with all my heart, and my brain has not yet convinced me that it is impossible to feel so much love for someone I have never seen/hear and touched in real life. How's that for giving our hearts the credit it deserve?

It is a lovely Sunday morning down here. The air is fresh after some wonderful, well-needed rain. I hope your Sunday will be lovely too.

Ruth Cox link

10/14/2017 01:19:23 am

I think I love your article ... Great tune! Love is certainly what our world needs now.

Martie link

10/14/2017 06:25:01 pm

Hi Ruth,

Good to see you in my corner. It is so much easier, and especially more rewarding, to love. Loving, as well as hating, are like a boomerang - whatever we give returns to us, and somehow with more power. Loving others is loving ourselves. The reward is happiness, Hating others is hating ourselves and the reward is unhappiness. It is so simple. Why, then, are there so many haters in this world? I believe ignorance and the absence of role models are the only reasons, and, of course, mental disorders.

I am so glad you enjoyed this post about all the different kinds of love.