According to the Ancient Greeks, there were 7 types of love. Each with it’s own importance and value. If you’re lucky enough to experience every kind, you will live a truly rich life.
These Are The 7 Types Of Love, Which Have You Known?
1. Eros: Burning passion | 7 Types of Love
Eros was the Greek God of attraction and sexual desire, Eros is defined as divine beauty or lust, Eros is the most most intense type of love often associated with youth, or our ‘first great romance.’ The Greeks feared this kind of love the most because it was dangerous, its power could destroy you. Do you ever think back to your first great love many years later? Eros is mainly based on sexual attraction and it is where the term “erotica” came from.
2. Philia: Shared goodwill | 7 Types of Love
Also known as brotherly love, Philia represents a sincere and platonic love. The kind of love you have for your sibling or a best friend. It was more valuable and more cherished than Eros as Philia has to the power to build empires from the ground up. Philia exists when people share a great understanding and respect combined with similar values and disposition.
3. Ludus: Playful love | 7 Types of Love
Ludus is the flirtatious and teasing kind of love, synonymous with dancing or laughter, a child-like, fun kind of love. If you think about it; this generation loves Ludus more than anything else, with fleeting romances and explosively passionate but brief online skirmishes ruling todays dating landscape. Applications like Tinder are ingraining Ludus into modern culture more than ever. Ludus is all about having fun in the moment with no regard for what may happen in the future.
4. Pragma: Standing in love | 7 Types of Love
The everlasting love between a married couple which develops over a long period of time. Pragma was the highest form of love; a true commitment that requires understanding and compromise. It is pragmatic and flexible. This is why it is referred to as “standing in love” rather than “falling in love.” Anyone can fall in love but it takes a conscious decision to stand in love with someone resolutely for “better or worse.”
5. Agape: Selfless love | 7 Types of Love
Agape love is selfless love, the love for humanity. The purest kind of love. The love you give without expecting anything in return reflected in all charitable acts. It is the compassionate love that makes us sympathize with and help people we don’t know. Wanting to make the world a better place, seeing something that you know is wrong and being brave enough to take action for no other reason than knowing, that is what is right. The world needs more Agape.
6. Philautia: Self love | 7 Types of Love
The ancient Greeks divided Philautia into two forms: The negative is selfishly egocentric and seeks pleasure, fame, and wealth often manifesting itself via narcissistic tendencies.
Positive Philautia is the healthy kind of love we give ourselves and in fact need, for personal growth. Philautia is essential for any relationship, we can only love others if we truly love ourselves and we can only care for others if we truly care for ourselves.
7. Storge: Unwavering devotion | 7 Types of Love
Storge is the kind of love parents feel for their children. It is a natural almost instinctive love. A powerful and protective force not to be trifled with. Storge is a love that knows forgiveness, acceptance and sacrifice. A feeling that you would protect someone with your life, even if they wrong you (usually unintentionally). Storge does not waver.
People in the early stages of a romantic relationship often expect unconditional Storge, but find only the need and dependency of Eros, and, if they are lucky, the maturity of Philia. Given enough time, Eros tends to evolve into Storge.