Recognizing 8 Types Of Love According To The Ancient Greeks

Illustration (Volodymyr Tokar / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Since childhood we have often heard the word love. In books and movies, love is always described as something beautiful and romantic. Most often associated in a love relationship or parent-child relationship.

Love is sometimes difficult to understand and many people think of it as something abstract. However, the ancient Greeks who had studied love tried to categorize the types of love that existed in the world. Here are the categories:

Agape, unconditional love

The agape type of love is said to be a voluntary and unconditional feeling. There is also the notion that agape is a spiritual type. Not many people can feel this kind of love.

The depiction is like Christians who believe that Jesus showed love for all humans, was willing to sacrifice, even suffer for the happiness of others. Agape is the highest form of love because of its selfless nature.

Eros, erotic love

The name eros refers to the name of the Greek god of love and fertility. This type of love is often associated with romantic things, physical relationships, passion, and sexual desire. Actually, the Greeks themselves were a bit afraid of this kind of love because it could cause people to lose control.

Philia, love with full of affection

This type of love is described as affection for friends. Philia becomes love between people who have good intentions towards each other. This includes relationships of sincere friendship, loyalty, trust, and mutual sacrifice.

Philautia, self-love

It can be said to be self-love but by no means selfish and narcissistic. The Greeks believed that loving yourself was the key to giving love to others. People who hate themselves will have less love to share.

Be aware of the negative form of philautia, namely narcissism, which is defined by self-obsession, vanity, and a narrow focus on one's personal gain.

Storge, love for family

The storge type is defined as intimate love and usually occurs in parent-child relationships. Here, there is no sexual attraction, but rather a strong bond.

Pragma, eternal love

The ancient Greeks defined pragma as the opposite of eros. Unlike eros which can fade easily, pragma is considered a more mature love and can last a long time. Not everyone can feel this type of love even though the key is compromise and efforts to be happy together.

Ludus, lovely love

There is also a Ludus type which is characterized by infatuation with a partner and the emergence of feelings of not wanting to live without a partner. This type of love makes people more enthusiastic and happy.

Mania, obsessive love

Mania is defined as the type of love that can lead a person to jealousy and anger. Mania can make people very afraid of losing their partner and force them to do crazy things to maintain the relationship.