Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of feelings, behaviors, & attitudes including deep affection, attachment, and care for someone or something.
Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of feelings, behaviors, and attitudes including deep affection, attachment, and care for someone or something.
Webster defines love as "Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. It can also refer to a feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration2, or an affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind."
Love can manifest in various forms, including:
1. Romantic Love: An intense emotional and physical attraction towards another person, often accompanied by a desire for a long-term relationship.
2. Familial Love: The deep bond and affection shared between family members, such as the love between parents and children or siblings.
3. Platonic Love: A non-romantic, deep affection and emotional connection with friends.
4. Self-Love: The regard for one's own well-being and happiness, involving self-respect, self-care, and self-acceptance.
5. Unconditional Love: Love that is given without any conditions or expectations, often associated with parental love or deep spiritual connections.
5 Characteristics of Healthy Loving Relationships: TRACC
· Trust: Having confidence in the other person's reliability and integrity.
· Respect & Support: Valuing and honoring the other person's individuality and boundaries.
· Affection: Demonstrating care and warmth through time, actions and words.
· Communication: Expressing our love physically, verbally, gifts, time. Expressing thoughts& feelings w/ empathy & understanding towards the other person.
· Commitment: Dedication to maintaining and nurturing the relationship over time.
Love is not merely a feeling but also involves actions and choices that reflect the well-being of the other person or oneself. It isan essential component of healthy and fulfilling relationships.
What Love Is Not
1. Misconceptions About Love
Common misconceptions about love (e.g., love as control, over dependency, or sacrifice of self-identity).
Traits of unhealthy love: jealous, possessive, manipulation, and abuse.
Love hurts when it’s broken – misunderstandings, separation, etc.
Love always seeks to unify and come back together.
www.loveboxfoundation.org
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