When it comes to us having the ability to love one another, I so value Rainer Maria Rilke saying, “for one human to love another human being; that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.” (Trans. 1977) When it comes to human love, I so appreciate Erich Fromm saying, “this desire for interpersonal fusion is the most powerful striving in man. It is the most fundamental passion, it is the force which keeps the human race together, the clan, the family, society. The failure to achieve it means insanity or destruction – self-destruction or destruction of others. Without love humanity could not exist for a day.” (1956)
In the Theory of Balanceology, I attempt to make a case that love can be categorized into various forms and levels. In The Four Loves (1960), C. S. Lewis categorized love into 4 forms: agape (altruism), affection (attachment), philias (friendly), and eros (romantic). In 2004, Canadian sociologist John Lee referred to 6 forms (styles) of love he labeled: eros (romantic), pragma (logical-practical), storge (friendship), agape (selfless), ludus (play), and mania-manic (obsesssive-preoccupied). In several posts to come, I will review and detail the manner in which I categorize the Theory of Balanceology’s different love-forms and love-levels. Feel free to comment about love, as it relates to forms and levels.
