Blog The 8 Types Of Love And Why They Are Important For Your Health

The 8 Types Of Love And Why They Are Important For Your Health

Love is what makes the world go round. Whether it is love for your family or passion for your partner, all kinds of love are needed to have a happy and healthy life.

The word “love” is a vague term in the English language and doesn’t always accurately describe the various connections we have in our lives. 

Therefore, scholars and philosophers over the centuries have attempted to categorize the different types of love so we can use more accurate terms to describe our unique connections to others.

The ancient Greeks developed a classification scheme that categorized eight different types of love as a way to accurately define all the unique connections we experience.

Read on to learn more about these types of love as well as how they influence physical health and mental well-being.

Contents

8 Types Of Love

The eight types of love listed below come from ancient Greek philosophy. They cover all sorts of relationships, from self-care to love for humanity. The first four types of love are well-known thanks to the writings of C.S. Lewis.

The other four are not as well-known but are still important. Read on to learn more about each of the eight types of love.

1. Agape

Agape

Agape is unconditional love. It is altruistic and selfless, focusing on humanity rather than the self. It is a spiritual type of love as it aims to focus on the greater good rather than loving an individual.

It is also the love associated with charity and empathy. Great spiritual leaders such as Jesus or Buddha are said to have exhibited agape love as they had great compassion for the human race.

2. Eros

When people think of love, they usually think of eros. Eros is romantic love based on physical attraction and sexuality.

Interestingly enough, the Greeks and other cultures thought this type of love was the most dangerous. They associated eros with power and the loss of control, meaning one could easily lose themselves to it.

They may have had a point, considering how many people lose themselves or completely restructure their lives because of this love type. 

3. Philia

Philia is affectionate love or “brotherly love.” This is why Philadelphia is known as “the city of brotherly love.” It is love and affection for your friends, peers, or community.

Physical attraction and sexual desire are not involved in this love. It is simply the care and affection you have for people in your social circle.

4. Storge

Storge

Storge love is similar to philia but more resembles the bond between family members. It is the love you have for a parent, child, sibling, or anyone else in your extended family. However, if you consider some of your friends as family, you may have this love for them as well.

5. Philautia

Philautia is self-love, but not the kind that leads to arrogance or narcissism. On the contrary, it is associated with healthy self-esteem and self-compassion, which are necessary for well-being.

Furthermore, philautia is necessary to form other types of love, as you cannot adequately love someone if you do not love yourself.

6. Pragma

Pragma is the type of love most strive for but rarely attain. It is long-lasting romantic love, the kind that only a long-term couple can feel.

Though most associate this love with marriages that have lasted decades, it is possible to feel this love after just a few years.

To experience pragma love, the couple must have a good and healthy strategy to overcome conflict together as well as have mutual respect for one another. They must both be willing to put effort into the relationship and prioritize it. 

However, when a couple enters pragma love, their relationship requires less effort to maintain since they have already worked together through various hurdles and obstacles.

7. Ludus

Ludus is the love you feel when you have a crush or are in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. It is often called “playful love,” as it is associated with the giddiness and excitement of a newly blossoming love.

It’s the type of love that makes you feel alive. You may feel that you would never be happy again if you weren’t with your partner.

8. Mania

Mania (as you may have guessed from the name) is obsessive love. It forms when someone becomes unhealthily infatuated with their partner to the point where they believe they need to be in control of them. Partners who exhibit this love may be controlling, jealous, or even abusive.

The person who feels mania love often has low self-esteem and has a great fear of being alone or losing their partner. That is why they will go to any means to keep their partners in their life.

Why Love Is Important For Your Health

Humans are social creatures and cannot live without love. Whether it is romantic love or love for your friends, your life may feel dull or empty without some form of love or connection.

Love not only cures loneliness but can be good for both your mental well-being and physical health. This makes love even more important as it is a key component of what makes us happy and healthy.

Love has been known to have many positive effects on one’s physical health, including:

Furthermore, having love, family, or friends may help when coping or treating various mental health conditions, including:

  • Chronic stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Low self-esteem

Therefore love isn’t just for connection; it is crucial for feeling good physically and mentally.

Final Thoughts

None of us can live without love. The current loneliness epidemic is proof that love is important to all aspects of our well-being.

Luckily there are many types of love, and most of them are healthy and bring great positives to our lives. If you struggle with loneliness, find ways to bring more people into your life or talk to a therapist about your emotional pain.

If you are interested in learning more about love, how to find it, and its benefits for your mental health, you can find more advice and information here.

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