Love: Emotion, Myth, & MetaphorPrometheus Books, 1990 - 347 pages Love - our hearts yearn for it, we fall into it or out of it, we'll do almost anything to attain and keep it. Those who have experienced the "power of love" whirl from its embrace. It is delicious anguish, gut-wrenching pain, and intoxicating allure. Nations go to war over it, crimes are committed to satisfy its demands, lives are often ruined because of it, and extraordinary feats of courage and sacrifice are performed in its name. But beyond the cliches and greeting card platitudes, do we really understand what love is, and how it alters the way we think, feel, and behave? Should love be viewed as little more than a lusty romp, or is there more to it? What is the relationship between love and romance, caring, concern, compassion, thoughtfulness, sex, and the many other components that our society jumbles together in this potent potpourri whose power can give strength to the weakest among us, or turn powerhouses of strength into emotional mush. It is precisely because love is such an important part of our lives that we owe it to ourselves to reach beyond overwhelming passion and the roadblocks of illusion to achieve real understanding of this extraordinary human phenomenon. It won't always be easy - in fact, it's sometimes quite painful. But the rewards are many for those who will risk exploring their own cherished attitudes about a subject that has held us in its grip for centuries and shows no signs of letting go. Some of the topics covered are: - What I Feel in My Heart - On the (Alleged) Origins of Romantic Love - What Do I Want When I Want You? - Why Do I Love You? - The Importance of Being Honest - Love, Sex, and Intimacy - Beyond Sex and Gender - What's So Good About Love? |
Contents
In the Beginning the Word | 3 |
The Game of Love | 16 |
What I Feel in My Heart | 33 |
Copyright | |
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Alcibiades androgyny anger argued argument Aristophanes Aristotle beautiful becomes choose conception confused couple course culture cynicism defined desire Diotima emotion equality Erich Fromm eros essential eternal everything example experience fact fall in love fantasy feel feminine feminists forever Freud friends friendship G. W. F. Hegel gender gender roles Greeks happiness honesty human idea ideal illusion imagine important intimacy Jean-Paul Sartre Juliet kind least less look lover loveworld loving someone male mantic love Marilyn French marriage matter mean metaphor metaphysical mutual myth nature never obvious one's oneself ourselves particular passion perhaps person philosopher Plato Platonic love play praise question reason for loving rela relationship roles Rollo romantic love ROMEO seems self-esteem sense sexual shared identity Shulamith Firestone significance simply social society SOCRATES sometimes talk tell tend theory thing tion troubadours true turn virtues wholly woman women word