Types of Love

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. ~ George Sand

Love is a complicated emotion that is very difficult to comprehend. Most people think that love is a matter of the heart, but in reality love happens in the brain. Though poets, painters and artists have all epitomized the heart as the symbol of love, it is actually the brain that releases chemical signals that makes one understand love. The most common type of love that is known all over the world is the love between a mother and her child and the love between lovers. However, there are many other types of love relationships that one may experience.

Love can be loving oneself or loving someone else. The love we have for a person may change over time into different forms of love. There are different types of love relationships one has with different people. Let us see some of the basic types of love relationships.

Types of Love Relationships

The first basic type of love relationship is between a parent and children. A parent can show their love to their children by saying the universal words of love, 'I Love You'. The other way to do so is developing a common rite daily, like reading the story book to the young ones before bed or having dinner together everyday or even attending each game or activity the child participates. The other form of this type of love, is being there for one another without having to ask. The parents give their children ample opportunity to grow and succeed. The children in turn, have confidence in their parents and that all their problems and issues can be shared with their parents.

The next type of love relationship is between siblings. Siblings tend to feel comfortable around each other. They tend to confide in each other and share a special bond that is more than a friendship bond. Love between life partners is all about caring and sharing responsibilities. Life partners embark on a journey called life where they love each other unconditionally. The love between friends is a very special emotion and bond where one lends a helping hand without any selfish motive. A bond of friendship knows no boundaries and transforms itself into a world of sharing and trust. And lastly, what is called a pet love. This love is shared by man with his pet animal. Man takes care of his pet and in return he gets a life long faithful love from the animal. The animal is a friend who helps overcome grief and loneliness the person may suffer.

Different Types of Love

The different love styles are known by their Greek names. This is because the ancient Greeks recognized the different love styles. The types of love in the Bible are mentioned by their Greek name. The two types of love that are mentioned in the Bible are agape and phileo. Let us see the different forms of love in detail.

Eros
This type of love is about ideal beauty, passionate physical and emotional, lustful love. It usually refer to sex and this type of love in the Bible means love between a man and his wife. It is more than sexual ecstasy and includes yearning and caring. This love needs to be fulfilled and is kind of self-centered love. It is not concerned about the other person and is based on attraction and desire. The Eros type of love fades away with time.

Storge
This is the second form of love that is not directly mentioned in the Bible in its noun or verb form. This type of love normally refers to the love of friendship, family love, a love shared between parents and children. It can also be the love of one person for his leader. Here one wants the best for his friend or lover. Even after lovers part, this type of love will survive in the form of friendship.

Ludus
This is about a love game, where a lover wants to have fun and not get into a serious form of relationship. Here the conquest of love is the goal without a deep intimacy or intensity.

Agape
This type of love, mentioned in the Bible relates to a dutiful, selfless love. This love is between a mother and her child that is given without ever asking for anything in return. In this form of love, the lover views their partner as a blessing. They will do anything to take care of them. People who follow this kind of love are mostly spiritual or religious people.

Pragma
This is a practical type of love with realistic needs. People who tend to love on the basis of Pragma are searching for partners with a basic set of qualities. This kind of love may sometimes be unemotional.

Phileo
Phileo is the type of love, mentioned in the Bible that refers to brotherly love. This is deep-rooted emotion where love grows and both partners are benefited from the friendship. This love is going beyond the superficial needs in a relationship and striving for a deeper connection. The words being shallow or pretentious hold no meaning in this type of love.

Mania
Mania is a highly obsessive and volatile form of love. This type of love is usually seen in people with a very low self-esteem. In this form of love, the person tends to get too involved with the person they fancy. Their love changes into jealousy, possessiveness and carries great intensity. The person cannot concentrate on work or study and may tend to become a danger to their lover or even themselves.

These are some of the different types of love. A relationship can turn into a long-lasting bond if the lovers share the same love style. It is seen that most men tend to show a ludic love style and women prefer an agape or pragma love style. I hope this article on types of love has helped you determine your love style.