Mature Love

• So one day Erickson asks me by Don Nathanson, 10/15/97
  • Share Your Erickson Story by Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., 11/2/97
    
    

Thanks, Jeff, for recounting Erickson's definition of mature love, "in your happiness, I find my happiness."

This is basically the same as what I think of as the common element of love. What is love? We often talk of many different kinds of love: love of a parent for a child, love of a child for a parent, love between friends, love between lovers, etc. Though all these types of love a different, they all must have something in common, since they are all love. I believe that all of the different types of love share the following: Your joy gives me joy and your sorrow gives me sorrow.

I believe that this second of the above definition is important because it shows that an abusive and controlling relationship is not love. I would content that what is often called love is more like what we might call "joy of ownership or possession." I any case, it is not love.

I would be interested in what thoughts you or anyone else might have on this subject.

Thanks,

Dave

dhubbard@primenet.com

• Bonner's and the Putneys' Love by Stephen Lankton, 11/12/97
  • A short thought on Love... by John Gauger, Vancouver, Canada, 11/13/97
    • Known in what way? by Stephen Lankton, 11/14/97
      • Knowing = Loving by John Gauger, Vancouver, Canada, 11/16/97
        • A narcissist reply by Michael Melhorn, 11/17/97
    • love is not the known by michael melhorn, 11/15/97
  • Love and loving by Robin Allenson, 4/8/98
    • I agree, Robin. by Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., 4/12/98
    • Well put by Stephen Lankton, 4/13/98
      • And love of clients? by Diane Kistner, 5/25/98
• reply to what is love by Michael Melhorn, 11/13/97