The day of love is here. There is such an emphasis in the media on romantic love; however, love is more than a Colleen Hoover Novel. Many types of love exist, and If you have not paid attention to them, I encourage you to find and explore different kinds of love as defined by the Greeks.
The Greeks have six words for love based on the book “How Should We Live?” by Roman Krznaric. The book compares the varieties of love to contemporary coffee. From Latte to Macchiato’s and Moca’s, there are different types of love, and each type manifests itself differently. Below briefly explores every kind of love.
Six Types of Love
Ethos- romantic sexual love is the most sought-after in today’s relationships. People want to fall Madly in love.
Philia β friend bond nonsexual intimacy or displayed by people who have a mutual dependency on each other, such as business partners.
Philautia β Love for ourselves that does not turn into an obsession. Accepting our imperfections while acknowledging our gifts.
Agape β Selfless, unconditional love. Early Christians used this term to describe God’s love for humans.
Ludus- Playful love, playful affection, flirtation, teasing, lighthearted and joking.
Pragma- Mature love developed over time through making compromises, having tolerance, and showing patience but being realistic.
Love can be discovered in many other ways than romantically and intimately. Roman Krznarc believes that navigating the pleasures and loss of love can benefit us in understanding the types of love that exist. The strain would be placed on one person if we tried to have all six types of love in one partner. So, it’s important to maintain other relationships, whether with coworkers, friends, strangers, or within oneself.
Consider exploring the different loves in your life to understand yourself and the world around you. If you enjoy journaling, consider it a journal prompt to write about!
YES Magazine article, Read more on the six love varieties
The Open Narrative Poems about Love: Romance is, In Your Garden
Coffee & Cream (a Poem)
You give me dopamine
On the days I feel lacking, on the days I feel nothing
You’re the Smooth taste of coffee and cream when I read
you’re Sweet, and I like it
But I can’t have All of you
so I
Sip,
Sip,
Sip
The One person I’m used to giving me dopamine
The spike of Caffeine
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