Brotherly Love And Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory Of Love

1831 Words4 Pages

“Happiness is feeling connected, free, and capable” (Myers, 2013). That is just one way that love can be explained. Love makes people feel a connection to those around them, and gives them a sense of belonging. Although many people think of love in terms of romantic relationships, and marriage, love plays a much greater role in everyday life than simply finding a companion to spend the rest of your life with. Love is also an important aspect in the relationships that we build with friends, family, and even our pets. One theory argues that love is not merely a feeling, but rather a mirror of what we have seen displayed for us, throughout our lives, in the form of parent interactions (Fehr, 1988). This is often referred to as prototype
Unlike Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, Fromm’s theory is derived from a humanistic approach explained through five different types of love: motherly love (one-sided and unequal), brotherly love (loving all), erotic love (intimate but short lived), immature love (overwhelming), and mature love (mutual and caring). Motherly love is a one-sided and unequal or unconditional love commonly given by mother to her younger child which gives the child a sense of stability and security . Brotherly love is a type of love where an individual loves all. Opposite of brotherly love is erotic love which the individual focuses on loving one individual in a sexual way, this is short-lived. This type of love is comparable to the passion, intense romantic or sexual desire that is accompanied by physiological arousal in Sternberg’s theory of love. Immature love is when receiving love or taking love overwhelms the giving of love. Lastly, mature love, is described as love in which both partners share mutual care and responsibility for each other and both individuals are able to love each other freely. Mature love is achieved when both individual’s personalities are capable of giving true, genuine love (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). Mature love is also comparable to consummate love (Myers, 2013) in Sternberg’s theory of love. Fromm’s theory of love does not just emphasize
Love and the way we love others varies across different individuals of various cultural backgrounds. From a psychoanalytic approach, many theorists in this field focus on the development of love and it’s stages as we become of age to establish a loving, healthy relationship with a companion. In the book titled Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research (Friedman & Schustack, 2013), A person must have social connection with others in order to achieve true happiness. This is something so unique to humans; the human connection. To connect with another person on an emotional, intellectual, and even physical level brings on an entire new perspective on life. Love is the most powerful force that we have as human

Open Document