Some philosophical circles prefer to condense philia and storge into one category.

The ancient Greeks had 4 types of love: eros, philia, storge, and agape. It seems about time to update our emotional dialect. We deeply understand that there are differeent kinds of love, that it manifests itself in different ways yet we only describe it with one overarching umbrella term? This is why some love purists shun the idea of casual hookups, as it somehow ‘tarnishes’ the delicate nature of true love. This is why the concept of a ‘soulmate’ still resonates in many love stories. Intuitively, we know that not all love is the same. With their insight, we can apply a more nuanced understanding of love to our daily lives and relationships and in doing so, come closer to our loved ones, peers, and neighbors. They have been lost sacred knowledge sacrificed to the relentless progression of time, society, and culture.īoth the ancient Greeks and modern psychologists have already helped us on our quest to dissect the divisions of love and understand it as a concept. We need a more comprehensive description of the types of love, to focus our definitions so that we more accurately describe our emotions and intensify our understanding of the world we inhabit.įortunately, we do have these descriptions. Why is it then, that we have only one word to express our most intimate feeling?ĭo you really feel the same way about the latest Avengers’ movie as you do about your partner of 5 years?ĭoes your breakfast hold the same standing in your heart as your mother? More detailed descriptions of your surroundings allow you to better understand the world you live in. This gives their societies a better understanding of their environment and informs their knowledge of how best to move forward and address the situations in which they find themselves. It is said the Eskimos in North America have 50-100 unique words for snow.Ĭountless Native tribes have incredibly nuanced terms for plants, ground, and jungle structure. “An entire army made of lovers would be invincible.”

Cs lewis 4 kinds of love