Is the love of a child the same as the love of a partner?

Duke · 10-21-2004, 09:03 PM

I really have no answer to this question personally which is why I'm asking it.

Thoughts?

Paul · 10-21-2004, 09:59 PM

I'm copying directly from our topic "Love Yourself" but my answer is no and here's why:

Quote:

From what I've observed there are different kinds of love, the Greeks break it down into 3 types:

eros has to do with sensual love, most romances are built on, it has no enduring quality of any kind

phileo is the love of one brother for another, it's the love of a father for his child, typically follows bloodlines

agape is a deeper and more intense and eternal love, even when the recipient doesn't deserve it, love no matter what

Love is a complicated thing but IMO it's one thing that when it's real, you know it. What you feel for your daughter and what she reciprocates to you Duke is real love. To find that intensity of love with and from another person, a mate if you will, is rare, but when that happens you have found your lifetime companion. Not many people do find that person, to often people miss what's right under their nose, settle for someone who doesn't deserve them or give in to pressure to get married, which isn't the point of love at all.

Duke · 10-21-2004, 10:08 PM

I guess what I'm wondering is why the answer can't be yes? If it was, I bet we'd see a much lower divorce rate, spousal abuse, and children suffering because of it.

Paul · 10-21-2004, 10:15 PM

I think it's possible to, it's just that IMO the root causes are different.

Merika · 10-22-2004, 11:38 AM

I think when I answered on the 'Love Yourself' thread I posted that loving you child is loving it before you even knew who they were, what they would look like, what they would become, their characteristics....etc. You love them regardless of what they grow to be.

When you love an adult though (friend or lover) you love them for what they already ARE. (Or in a bad scenario....what you THINK they are.)

I don't know if you can love both the same way. It would be just grand...but almost impossible.

I could surely be wrong though.

Duke · 10-22-2004, 07:52 PM

I bet if you could find a way to make people love each other as they love their children, bottle it or put it in pill form, you'd be rich.

I'm not talking about alcohol either lol.

sn00py · 10-22-2004, 10:59 PM

i guess with family if you get in a fistfight u will allways still love them

but if you get in a fistfight with your partner your going to jail

Merika · 10-22-2004, 11:21 PM

sn00py · 10-22-2004, 11:30 PM

whats the link to all your smileys merika

Merika · 10-23-2004, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn00py

whats the link to all your smileys merika

Finish picking up the leaves in the side yard tomorrow and I'll share ALL the links with you...SNOOPY!

hehehehe.....nothing like a BRIBE!

Paul · 10-23-2004, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn00py

i guess with family if you get in a fistfight u will allways still love them

but if you get in a fistfight with your partner your going to jail

Great statement sn00py!

I don't think it's impossible to love someone with the intensity and as lasting a love as you have for a child, I just think it's impossible for us to do it. Sometimes you need God's love to flow through you to another person, to kick in during those trying times when you feel at your wits-end. When you love with that type of love, which is enduring and continues no matter what, then it is possible IMO.

sn00py · 10-23-2004, 09:41 AM

i think it would almost depend on if you were married long like im pretty sure my grandma loves my granpa as much as she loves me and my mom

Duke · 10-23-2004, 12:18 PM

I actually think that we judge our partner more harshly than we do our own blood. I really believe that it's simply a changeable state of mind that we can all achieve, we just have to learn how to do it.

Merika · 10-23-2004, 03:21 PM

Sometimes you can work out a marriage or relationship....sometimes you can't. I don't know that if the end result is a divorce or breakup that both people didn't orginally get into it with the best intentions and what they thought was a great amount of love.

Time can seriously change things.

Duke · 10-23-2004, 03:40 PM

More often than not, the relationship is doomed from the first few battles. Once you start putting more emphasis on yelling instead of listening you may as well start getting the papers ready.

One thing I learned in a sales course many years ago was in order to be a great salesman, you need not start thinking of a response until your client finishes his/her thought. If you start thinking of possible retorts to a question you shut down the ability to listen and understand.