What is real love? What is love? When is it, love?
In Greek, there are 4 words of love
One of them is
agape – the spiritual kind of love, the unconditional one that expects no return. Agape love is entirely about the lover and has nothing whatsoever to do with the one loved. Agape love, in its purest form, requires no payment or favor in response. This kind of love is about a commitment to the very best for another, no matter what emotions or feelings exist!
another is
Eros is the passionate often sexual love. sensual desire and longing love. Eros is obviously the root word for “erotic,” but it does not describe sexual love only, it actually describes all emotional love; the feeling of love. Eros’s love is that insatiable desire to be near the target of this love. The exciting, passionate, nervous feelings that sweep over people in the appropriate circumstances. This is the love that says “I love how you make me feel.” As an emotion, Eros changes, sometimes suddenly.
then there is
Philos love, or brotherly/friendship love. the mental love that is affectionate regard or friendship. Philos describes the love between two people who have common interests and experiences or a fondness. This is a give-and-take love. the love we often have for friends, family, and community. Unlike Eros, which pulses up and down like waves on the ocean, Philos steadily grows, like a building being constructed stone by stone. For this reason, when close friends are separated for a while and reunited, they will often say “it is like we picked up exactly where we left off.”
And last but least the
Storgy the affection is the love one has for a dependent. It is commonly called “motherly love.” It is entirely based on the relationship between the “lover” and the “love.” When the dependent is no longer dependent, this love remains only in its emotional remnants. It is one of the stronger loves because it involves a commitment that relies on only one trait of the receiver – that he or she is dependent.
Because in many modern languages only one world is used “love” becomes very relative…
How many parts of LOVE we want to combine in a relationship must be our very own decision. In my own opinion, it would need at least a few – also to make sure it can endure if one part is missing in some situations or phases.
Healthy love combines a combination of some of them in one big love.