Love Theory

Love is an intense feeling of fondness or attraction, deeper and stronger than liking, especially when associated with a romantic or sexual attachment to someone.#

According to a popular toxonomy proposed by the Canadian sociologist John Alan Lee (born 1933) in The Colors of Love: an Exploration of The Ways of Loving (1973), there are 3 primary and 3 secondary types of love that blend into diffrerent shades like colours.

The 3 primary types being:
1. Eros - Erotic or passianote love.
2. Ludus - Ludic or playful love.
3. Storge - Storgic or friendly/affectionate love.

And, the 3 secondary types of love being:
1. Pragma (Pragmatic or utilitarianm love, combining ludus and storge).
2. Mania (Manic or obsessive/posessive love, a combination of ludus and eros).
3. Agape (Agapic or brotherly love, an altruistic or selfless combination of eros and storge).

According to the Triangular Theory of Love proposed in 1986 by the US phychologist Robert J(effrey) Sternberg (born 1949), there are 3 basic components of love, namely;
1. Passion (Sexual desire).
2. Intimacy (Confiding and sharing feelings).
3. Commitment (Intention to maintain the relationship.

Different combinations of the 3 components yielding 8 basic types:
1. Non-love (none of the 3 components are present).
2. Infatuated love (passion only).
3. Liking/friendship (intimacy only).
4. Empty love (commitment only).
5. Romantic love (passion and intimacy).
6. Companionate love (intimacy and commitment).
7. Fatuous love (passion and commitment).
8. Consummate love (passion, intimacy and commitment).

Extract from:
Dictionary of Psychology (by Andrew M.Colman), 2006, New York: Oxford University Press.

Which types of love are you in?