True love
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| Part of a series on Love |
| Historically |
|---|
| Courtly love |
| Religious love |
| Grades of Emotion |
| Erotic love |
| Platonic love |
| Familial love |
| Puppy love |
| Romantic love |
| True love |
| See Also |
| Unrequited love |
| Celibacy |
| Sexuality |
| Asexuality |
| Sex |
| Valentine's Day |
- For other uses, see True love (disambiguation).
True love is a popularly held concept of loving another lover or potential lover without restraint and without restriction.
It is important to note that the exact definition and nature of true love is highly subjective. Throughout history, true love has been debated over by philosophers, writers and scholars such as Shakespeare and Plato. Modern day intellectuals also have widely differing ideas of true love.
[edit] Possible Definitions
Usually, true love is described as love without condition, motive or attachment, loving someone just because they are themselves, not because of their appearance, actions, or other superficial factors. Such shallow reasons for affection, those that only appear on the surface, are often considered infatuation or puppy love, which are less profound and meaningful than true love.
People acting on the basis of what they see as 'true' love will often set aside their own well being for the safety and happiness of their lover, even though their relationship may not be formalized or reciprocated. Sometimes, this idea and it's associated feelings are strong enough to inspire acts of suidical self-sacrifice as in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
On the other hand, some psychologist, such as David Schnarch, believe that the opposite is the case. They believe that conditional love (or love in exchange for love) in romantic relationships leads to genuine love. This controversial thesis runs counter to popular conceptions of romantic love which stresses true love as being the only form of genuine love between lovers.
Another similar term is unconditional love, though this term is more often used to describe an strong emotional bond between blood family and other relatives. True love, in contrast, usually refers to a strong love between lovers or spouses, though overt sexuality is not required.
[edit] References
- Schnarch, David, Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships, 1998, ISBN 0805058265
- Stendal, On Love: The Classic Analysis of Romantic Love
- Tennov, Dorothy, Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love, 1999
