The Many Forms of Love

The Ancient Greeks had six forms of love, which are all important in their own way. I would like to see more people adopt these terms when expressing love in its various forms. In my book The Secrets To Living A Fantastic Life, Harriet and I discuss the six forms of love in depth. Today, I would like to focus on the different ways in which we express love. 

Eros- Sexual Passion 

We’ll get the most common one out of the way first. Everyone is quite familiar with this type of love, whether they have experienced it or see it blasted on media 24/7. 

Philia- Deep Friendship 

This denotes a deep brotherly love and a sense of commitment often felt by those on the battlefield. Philia shows loyalty and a willingness to sacrifice yourself to someone close to you. While we may not be Grecian soldiers, we can experience Philia with those we are very close to. 

Ludus- Playful love 

Ludus is an innocent, fun love. It could be young children playing, or two youth enjoying the highs of flirtation. Adults can experience Ludus as well, whether it is a playful relationship with someone we know or someone we casually run into from time to time. 

Agape- Love for all 

This is the altruistic love we show for all humans. We show Agape when we do work for others, who can offer us nothing in return. We do it because we want good for all. Agape does not have to be a massive undertaking like the work of Mother Teresa. It can be as simple as donating to your local food bank. 

Pragma- Long lasting love 

This often includes the love shown between couples who have been together for many years. It is an often under discussed form of love, but it can give you more joy than you could imagine. Think of the elderly couple on a walk, holding hands, and saying no words- because none are needed.  

Philautia– Self love 

Simply put, this is the love you have for yourself. There are two forms of Philautia, one associated with narcissism where you become self-absorbed and focused on fame. The other is a love that grows outwards. If you love yourself, you will be better able to love others around you. 

The Ancient Greeks were one of the greatest intellectual civilizations to have graced our Earth. We can take a lot away from these various forms of love as they help us to better understand our relationships. Better understanding of our relationships means we can not only deepen them but express ourselves in a more intimate way. Make sure those in your life know about the love you have for them, whichever kind it may be. Understand that these forms of love can transform over time. In fact, that is quite normal. 

I send you all my Agape Love.