Love Defined

As humans go through the different stages of life we must learn to demonstrate love amongst each other. There are different types of love as demonstrated toward different members of the family at different times in our lives.Agape love, the most oft talked about love in religious settings and self-help books alike, is the type of love that calls for people to sacrifice their own comfort in order to emotionally, physically and/or spiritually support someone else. The favorite love of non-married persons all over the world is eros or erotic love (self-explanatory). Philia love is a friendship bond and storge love is the bond formed by a group of two or more persons when empathy is displayed.

I wonder if most humans truly understand the requirements. As I go about my day and see so much heartbreak the love factor concerns me. Weekly terrorist attacks by car. Weekly shootings of managers and co-workers by disgruntled former employees. The world was always full of sin. Besides wars and rumors of wars I’ve never seen random citizens in the USA demonstrate terrorist and drug-related activities to the levels that  exist now.

The selfishness of White supremacists. The selfishness of women who leave their children in hot cars. I’m tired of the drama. You are as well. In this climate of the lack of display of love for your fellow neighbor good lessons can be learned. Here are some ways my friends and I have handled disputes among those closest to me in spiritual friendship and oneness.

Agape Love. What can you do for someone else. This is a college-themed website. College attendance is simultaneously considered with a vow of poverty for four or more years depending on the academic progran attended. You may not be able to give away alot of time. However, once a month consider volunteer. Think about helping someone besides yourself. You are earning or have earned a college degree in order to serve the needs of humanity. Do not forget that.

Eros love. Do not spend alot of time simply on eros love. Eros love is not effective without agape, philia and eros love. The other types of love are reflective of exactly the qualities it takes to build any relationship. Eros love can only be sustained through the display of caring about the fate of another person’s character. We all know people who go from a one-night stand to another one-night stand all because no one wants to spend the rest of their life in a marriage with a person they do not care to know. Meanwhile they search for new sexual partners more than once a year. Does anyone who has a God-given need for food, shelter and sex want to go for weeks and months on end without those basic essentials. Please play the game sincerely and thoughtfully.

Philia love. “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. These words were spoken by Jesus. Smile whenever it is appropriate to do so. Say hello to someone. Socialize with trustworthy people. Help people when appropriate. Be a shining light in someone’s life. You will attract a few people who demonstrate that Philia love.

Storge Love. It is impossible to have empathy for someone you do not spend time with. Start with philia and agape love. The display of those characteristics brings forth results in the eros and storge categories. Knowing someone’s life struggles and fun quirks wroughts an appreciation of all of the extraneous factors that work together to shape a person’s worldview. Empathy wroughts a long term appreciation in more ways than one.

Think about how you are displaying love. Does your love IQ need a tune up?