What's this feeling? My love will rip a hole in the ceiling. I give myself to you from the essence of my being... (King Without a Crown) In his song, Matisyahu is talking about his love for God, but I thought these lyrics were interesting just in terms of love. Love is obviously an abstract concept, one which can't truly be defined. People feel and understand love in different ways because everyone is unique. It seems that no one can agree on how many types of love there are. Nonetheless, googling the word "love" yielded some interesting information.
In the bible, two Greek words are used to mean love: phileo and agape. Phileo is often called "brotherly love" and can be defined as "a fondness based in the heart" (evangelical.us). Agape is often referred to as "unconditional love" or "choosing to seek the best for others" (evangelical.us).
My search for the biblical definition of love led to me to a search for the meaning of unconditional love. Wikipedia (the ultimate source of any and all important information) states that unconditional love "is a term that means to love someone regardless of one's actions or beliefs." Unconditional love is not limited to lovers, however. People can and do exhibit unconditional love for family members and friends as well.
The nonprofit organization, The Love Foundation, takes it even further. Their website states, "Unconditional Love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times. It is available at any moment by turning our attention to it and using its wonderful potential to free us from our limitations. It requires practice and intent to allow this energy to fully permeate our daily experience. It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be. In loving ourselves, we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we can share it to everyone and everything around us! That which we send out, returns to us in greater measure" (thelovefoundation.com).
The Love Foundation's mission statement explains their aim: "Our vision and purpose is to further the understanding and application of unconditional love through education, research, and charitable programs. The desire is to explore a variety of activities that enhance unity and self-conscious expression while promoting love and respect to all aspects of life."
While their mission statement, not to mention the whole foundation, may seem far too optimistic and idealistic, I think the idea behind their organization is key to improving the world and our quality of life. If everyone just worked a little harder to spread the love, there's no telling what we could accomplish.
So, fellow xangans, I urge you to smile, laugh, and love. Revel in each others' happiness. Love your friends, your family, that stranger in the bookstore, your waitress at Chili's, and, most importantly, love yourself. Though I am guilty of self-hatred and self-harm, I continue to strive towards one ultimate goal: to love myself unconditionally and share my love with everyone around me.
"Life, through unconditional love, is a wondrous adventure that excites the very core of our being and lights our path with delight."
-The Love Foundation
What is your definition of unconditional love?
Comments (18)
I would of liked this, if it weren't based around the bible.
The Greeks had more than two words for love, phileo and agape were two of them, but eros was defined as a sexual love and strorge which was for affection, like a parent would have for a child. I believe all four are referenced in the bible, but I'm not exactly sure.
Either way....great post. :)
i like this, though there is a point where "unconditional love" is not meant for everyone. for example; abusive relationships. though i suppose from this posts perspective, it starts with strength and self love. so hopefully one would know to avoid a situation like that.
I hate the term "unconditional love." People should never love unconditionally. To me, love is a form of admiration and respect. So I can't love somebody that I don't admire or respect. I can't love somebody whose character is based on qualities I do not admire. By loving a person with bad qualities, I think that you are, in a way, loving the bad qualities themselves. I can't love meanness, dishonesty, hatefulness, etc, it's against my morals.
Unconditional love...to me that means to love someone-yourself included-with all your heart, despite any glaring faults or problems. It doesn't mean you accept or agree with the faults, but it means you care enough about the person to look beyond their faults and love them anyways.
the problem with unconditional love, is that too many people mistake it for unconditional tolerance.
if someone in my family says something hurtful to me, i'm not going to tolerate it. i'm gonna stick up for myself. but that doesn't mean i don't love them, i'll always love them.
i think we all need to love unconditionally. we just need to know what we're going to tolerate.
It's really hard to define it. It took me three hours of thinking entirely on one subject relating to what's unconditional and conditional love in terms of sexual relationships. What a headache.
@Insomnia_Pickles_XtraTomato@xanga - I think someone could still love that person (in an abusive relationship), but he/she also has to lover himself/herself and get out of that relationship. Along the lines of what soyeahthatswhathappened@xanga said, unconditionally loving a person isn't accepting and tolerating everything they do.
love is simply being there and making the decision to care for someone even if they hurt you. the problem with society is that we have mistaken love for lust. lust is short term, that is why marriages fail. once the physical attraction is lessened they think that they don't love their spouse anymore. but the truth is they never truly loved their spouse. if they had loved their spouse they would have stuck with it, because that is what love this. staying with that person no matter what and choosing to love them. love is a decision, not an emotion.
Matisyahu! He opened for 311 a few years ago, and the second he started beatboxing, I fell in love with him.
Anywhoozle, I don't think humans can ever achieve 100% unconditional love. I think we can get close, but not all the way there because in the end, we're still just that: human.
I decided to delete my comment and leave a new one, basically the same, but I couldn't edit that one.
Unconditional love to me is what I have for (most of) my family. No one else. Despite what they have said to me to hurt me, will say to hurt me, or bad things they think about me, I still love them and always will, and vice versa.
@BroadwayBound93@xanga - ...until we reach Nirvana, of course :P
I definitely and strongly believe humans are capable of unconditional love. :]
Doesn't unconditional love just mean you love without conditions? That's what I always thought unconditional meant.
@AphoticxIllusion@xanga - ...This kinda isn't based around the bible.
Anyway, I really liked this post. :)
@stargazer_8000@xanga - The key word there is Kinda.
Unconditional love is loving someone or something with all your power and might regardless of that person's or something's mistakes.
Unconditional love - loving without limitations