Psychology Facts

▲ Love Styles ▲

This is way short but I thought it was cool to learn about!

》Eros
In Freudian psychology, Eros, also called libido, libidinal energy, or love, is the life instinct innate in all humans. It is the desire to create life and favors productivity and construction. Also known nowadays as "love at first sight", it is based on "chemistry" and a strong physical and/or emotional attraction. In Greek myth, it is a form of madness brought about by one of Cupid's arrows. The arrow breaches us and we "fall" in love, as did Paris with Helen, leading to the downfall of Troy and much of the assembled Greek army.

》Ludos
Ludos comes from the Greek word meaning "game." This form of love is conceived as playful and fun, but not necessarily serious. Those who exhibit this form of love are not ready for commitment and are wary of too much intimacy. This style of love is used by those who see love as a game and want to "win" as many partners as possible. It can involve activities such as teasing and dancing, or more overt, seducing, and conjugating. The focus is on fun, and sometimes also on conquest, with no strings attached.

》Storge
Storge stems from the Greek term meaning "natural affection." This form of love is often represented by familial love between parents and children, siblings, and extended family members. This type of love can also develop out of friendship where people who share interests and commitments gradually develop affection for one another. This style of love usually grows slowly out of friendship and is based more on similar interests and a commitment to one another rather than on passion.

》Pragma
This love style is very practical and realistic. People who prefer this style approach their relationship in a "business-like" fashion and look for partners with whom they can share common goals. Pragma is a kind of practical love founded on reason or duty and one's longer-term interests. Sexual takes a back seat in favor of personal qualities and compatibilities, shared, and "making it work". In the days of arranged marriages, pragma must have been very common.

》Mania
This style usually flows out of low self esteem and a need to be loved by one's partner. Lovers of this sort usually become very possessive and jealous. This refers to an obsessive love style. These individuals tend to be emotionally dependent and to need fairly constant reassurance in a relationship. Someone with this love style is likely to experience peaks of joy and troughs of sorrow, depending on the extent to which their partner can accommodate their needs

》Agape
is universal love, such as the love for strangers, nature, or God. Unlike storge, it does not depend on filiation or familiarity. Also called charity by Christian thinkers, agape can be said to encompass the modern concept of altruism, as defined as an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. In this style of love, the individual is willing to sacrifice anything for their partner. It is based on an unbreakable commitment and unconditional, selfless love. On a social level, altruism serves as a signal of cooperative intentions, and also of resource availability and so of mating or partnering potential. It also opens up a debit account, encouraging beneficiaries to reciprocate with gifts and favors that may be of much greater value to us than those with which we felt able to part.

》Philautia
is self-love, which can be healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy self-love is akin to hubris. In Ancient Greece, people could be accused of hubris if they placed themselves above the gods, or, like certain modern politicians, above the greater good. Many believed that hubris led to destruction or nemesis. Self-love begins with acknowledging your responsibility for your well-being. It's challenging to exemplify the outbound types of love because you can't offer what you don't have. Your soul allows you to reflect on your necessary needs and physical, emotional, and mental health.