Sunday, September 28, 2014

Love, defined

In the realm of words, it seems there are too many dimensions and there is too much nuance to rest on pithy definitions, but ignoring meaning, when the word "love" is bandied so freely, seems a bit foolish and ignorant of consequences, hence a working definition here:

Love

  • Affinity - I like that inexplicable 'you', and it's probably mutual. Do we really love anyone who doesn't even like us?
  • Abundance - We have a lack of want or need given the context of the relationship. E.g., family 'love' is probably more demanding because the expectations are higher. Consider this suited to Buddha.
  • Shared-experience - It seems difficult to love someone too distant, even if the closeness you're relying upon is memories.

Our Gifts versus Our Choices

I've started grading these, like school grading. I was surprised how I evaluate myself. These seven may not include every gift attribute, but generally, our other benefits/advantages are more solely our choices:

  1. Young
  2. Good-Looking
  3. Intelligent
  4. Good Family
  5. Affluent
  6. Healthy
  7. Innate Talent/Skills

Of course the grades will be relative. An 'A' in everything here is going to be different in Calcutta versus Lichtenstein.