i'm not trying to be all emo on you guys, but i've been reading irvin d. yalom lately (founder/expert on existential psychotherapy).
the idea is that because we all know that we will die, that there is no obvious meaning to life, and that we must go through it all alone, people often find romantic love to ease existential pain.
but when this happens, the love "caves in on itself."
My question: how do you tell the difference between regular love (which seems to have its share of heart-ache) and love which exists to ease existential pain?
2006-12-19 21:58:42 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Singles & Dating
Nirvana: yeah, i know, but here at the graveyard shift i like to do a bit of thinking aloud and see what the heathens have to say. ;)
2006-12-19 22:19:52 · update #1
It is difficult to accept "there is no obvious meaning to life"! Each of us strive so hard in search of one thing..that is true happiness, only a few are able to achieve it. These are the people who have found the true meaning of life!
True, some people take the route of romance to alleviate the pain of daily existence. Such a romance is like Morphine. When the influence is "on" the persons don't feel anything else, including the pains. Once the effect wears off, normal pain itself becomes unbearable.
Its difficult to distinguish between regular love and the type of romance explained above. Regular love probably is a natural reaction of we have to a romantic stimulus, rather than seeking romance as an antidote to a pain that we may be already suffering!
2006-12-19 22:11:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
there are many aspects of why people love... one is what you mentioned, whereas the other could just be to have some human company... and for a lifelong partner. I think if you had regular love, you actually feel that the person you're with gives meaning to your life, and feel that she is very important and you guys share an unspoken bond that only exists when 2 people love each other. i would define love which exists to ease existential pain as something that you cling on to without necessarily having that bond and your significant other not being the most important in your life? haha i don't know if that makes sense... it's a tough one, though.
2006-12-19 22:19:08 · answer #2 · answered by ceecee 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sometimes people think that the love is kisses and hugs and sex , but , it is not the whole love ,,, the love is a great relationship between two persons ,, and if you talking about the romantic love so we should be remember the honest relation , the serious relation .. there are millions fall in love but ,, there are few hundreds people knowing what love means ,,, the love is good treatment ,, the love is warming feelings ,, when the person in love want to spend all his life time beside his partner to care for him this is love ,, when he going to make any thing to let her smile even for a second ,this is love ,, when she do all her best to let him know what love she has ,, this is the romantic love , for sure the romantic love is protection but not from existential pain just ,,but from the lonely and the sadness time ,,, thanks and my best regards ,
2006-12-19 22:12:12 · answer #3 · answered by S F 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
any love of something can ease existential discomfort. Loving Cuban cigars, and residing for Cubans, could make you relatively satisfied. Loving people can convey that style of happiness. now and back people won't such as you, nonetheless, if your total international of happiness comes from loving that one person. they start to ask your self, what style of a loser is that this, whilst the only good element of their existence is me?
2016-10-15 07:19:43 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you dont worry about death and things and just take each day as it comes then your more likely to have 'normal' loves. if your worried about stuff all the time then your more likely to have the other
2006-12-19 22:08:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't know. too profound :P
but the feeling of love can't be put in words. the something special between you and another just happens out of nowhere when time is right, and that is fate (that creates love).
2006-12-19 22:06:20 · answer #6 · answered by rachel 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm sorry.. please quit reading his books.. that's not why people love each other and I could care less about being alone and if I should even die today I would still know them books are crap :) :) :)
2006-12-19 22:02:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
oh man quit with this book. it's a bunch of bull... love is nothing like that!
2006-12-19 22:07:35 · answer #8 · answered by sea_star 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wrong place to ask such a question...:)
2006-12-19 22:14:18 · answer #9 · answered by nirvana 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u should think that there is a God...
2006-12-19 22:06:22 · answer #10 · answered by Dani 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋