All We Need Is Love
VALENTINE’S DAY THOUGHTS
By Johanne Macob
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou
IN the midst of different social issues surrounding our country today – the Chief Justice’s impeachment trial, the preparation for K to 12’s kick off, the persistent piracies and plagiarisms in different media, among others – we must not forget the thing that transforms us all: love.
February reminds us, I guess, of the need to give and take love (even more). Besides, with our God-given gift of amygdale or some say hypothalamus in our brain (not heart actually) with the help of our entirety, we are all very much capable of feeling, giving, and taking love.
Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated on the 14th of this month in honor of St. Valentine, is a worldwide event not entirely just for couples. There are actually three basic types of love that have long been identified.
First of the three is ‘eros’. Legend tells us that ‘eros’ was named after ‘Eros’, the Greek counterpart of Cupid, the God of Love. Eros, in its dictionary meaning, is “sexual love”. In psychoanalytic theory, eros is all about self-preservation and procreation. Basically, it is the love between couples; or as others prefer to call it, “romantic love”. It is the root word of ‘erotica’. This love is concerned with the benefits, particularly sexual and emotional ones, that a person gets from a relationship. Eros’ focus is on the satisfaction one gets from the relationship.
The second type is called ‘philo’ or more popularly ‘philos’. It is basically a friendship love – friendship among a group, a family, lovers, or other relationships which have the values of friendship. Philos emphasizes a “give and take” relationship between people in contrast with eros that is only concerned with the ‘taking’ part. Thus, you stick in a philos-driven relationship if you get as much as you give. Therefore, philos is a very mutual type of love.
Finally, the highest and most heroic type of love, ‘agape’ or sometimes called the “unconditional love”. It is the selfless love that we may feel towards someone. When we unleash our altruism and help someone who is in need without thinking of the possible return or reward, we are feeling agape at its most basic sense. The best example of this is the love our God has for us — He died to save us because He loves us that much.
Certainly, we had felt and we are feeling at least one kind of love. I told you, we are all capable of releasing and catching drops of love. We are, not just during this love month but for all the months of our lives. As one song goes: all we (really) need is love. It does not really matter who we love or who loves us, what matters most is that we know and feel love every single day.
May we all have a Valentine’s Day full of love – eros, philos, and even attempt for agape. May everyday seem to be St. Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine everyone!
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