Unconditional Love or Rational Selfishness?

Question

Is love a form of rational selfishness or are we truly capable of

unconditional love?

Does everything have a cause and effect? For every action is there a reaction?
Do parents love their children because they expect to get something, anything, in return?
Or does society make parents feel like they have to unconditionally love their children?

Does this in turn create resentment and cause an irrational form of selfishness?



Seriously, I have lots of thoughts on this and I do have children. I just thought it was a very interesting topic and wanted to see what others are thinking.

funny how many take the word selfishness and automatically assume that it is a bad thing. Form of conditioning? perhaps that's why some choose to believe in unconditional love, conditioning by society?!

Answer 1

I believe that Love as with all emotions exist only as words used to explain complex chemical responses in our brain. Society reinforces traits such as protecting and 'unconditionaly loving' our children, but everyone will experience emotions differently, as our brains are all different.

Answer 2

Depends on the relationship. Many parents have unconditional love for their children- they would (and often actually) do what's necesary to do best by their children... to the best of their knowledge.

Some parents on the other hand are less than selfless... Maybe not quite so mature, perhaps a little insecure, etc. These very human qualities undermine the quality of parenting their children receive, mostly because the parents are still looking for their own needs to be met, moving the feelings closer to the rational selfishness.

I think it takes an extraordinarily mature, secure person to be capable of truly unconditional love. I know that as much as I love my husband, as mature and secure as I like to think I am, there are times I'm angry with my husband. There are times I don't like him very much. Yes, I still love him, but I don't know that that love has ever really been tested- how unconditional is my love... really?

Answer 3

Oh yes, we need only look at the unconditional love that parents have for children.
It goes without saying that to find this kind of love in another i.e. a lover is very rare and hard to find, which makes it seem as if its rational selfishness. How many of us have had boyfriends or girlfriends who get mad at us to the point of breaking up with us because we don't do what they want and when they want it...that's rational selfishness.

Good luck on the quest to find love

Answer 4

It's rational selfishness. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just is.

The idea of "unconditional love" is warm and fuzzy and great. Let's say, though, that a child physically threatens a parent (who thinks their love is unconditional) physically and the parent must hurt the child to protect themselves. To define child, I mean offspring, of any age. The parent would protect themselves. Right there is a condition; "I will love you on the condition that you do not try to harm me"

First and for most, what is "love"

Answer 5

i've got faith in unconditional love yet purely from the Heavenly Father. some human beings would have faith in unconditional love yet what number relationships have quite been examined. I examine an editorial some couple who became married for years and their love became examined via the dying of their son. i've got faith that as quickly as love is going by way of a confusing attempt or trial the real essence of that love is printed. i don't everybody is becoming to be further and extra egocentric. We have been all born egocentric. I do have faith everybody is becoming to be much less tolerant of human beings's errors. additionally in case you look at on the instant's information, infants are actually not getting to understand empathy. on the instant's infants are the destiny and it is frightening to ensure a information article some 10 3 hundred and sixty 5 days old boy who beat a three 3 hundred and sixty 5 days old little lady with a baseball bat because of the fact she became in his way whilst he became enjoying a video activity. it is extra good to forgive a guy who cheated yet men (and girls human beings sorry men) have been dishonest for years. lower back in the day divorce became lots extra good. desire this facilitates

Answer 6

"Oh yes, we need only look at the unconditional love that parents have for children."

Parents don't give unconditional love....their expectations of the child are constantly compromised.

So Yes, love is certainly a form a rational selfishness...everything we choose is...that's why we chose it...

If you want to claim we're capable of unconditional love that's fine...but we chose it as well and that's selfish.

You can't escape yourself since it's always you that's choosing.

Answer 7

Do you cry when you see a happy ending in a movie? Is that a selfish reaction? I believe there's a form of good selfishness that, in turn, reflects a good energy outward.

Answer 8

both