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Term Paper Undergraduate 544 words

Gerry Spence's definition of love and lasting relationships

~3 min read Philosophy
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Essay 544 words

Love Is How We Feel Toward Those Who Show Us That Which Is Lovable About Ourselves

Love is something that many have defined or rather tried to define in many ways, but Gerry Spence' definition is one of the most accurate ones that we may come across. According to his definition of love, it is truly the quality that others recognize in us that tells us a lot. When we become aware of the same we understand how much that person loves us. This is something that arouses our feelings, and helps us build a good, healthy relationship.

This definition of love that Gerry Spence has given us is indeed something that is true, and describes the feeling of love in the true context. He isn't speaking of sexual love or an attraction just from the physical appearance of another person. He is actually referring to the recognition of virtues that one may admire another for.

We can use this definition to describe two ordinary youngsters falling in love with each other. In a typical situation, we might see that there is a boy who begins to admire a girl for her external qualities, such as her thick hair or her elegant figure. In reality, she might not really be what he expects her to be. She might just be a complete cat. But since he is already attracted to her physically, she might respond in the same way because she knows that he is interested in her for the same. The outcome of such an attraction might be that they will spend time together, get to know each other, and then finally decide to spend the rest of their lives together. That is all fine, but what happens when the two of them turn a little older and don't really agree with one another's habits? Do they start fighting and grit their teeth at each other whenever they disagree on any thing? What will be the end result of such a relationship with the passage of time?

In contrast, we might see that there is a young man who observes the actions of a woman who he sees occasionally. She appears to be hard working, kind, generous, a social worker and dresses decently. He might introduce himself to her and tell her a little about himself. He might comment about the social work that she does, and say that he is interested in the same. This is evidence of compatible natures. From here on, they might become good friends, and learn and understand a great deal about each other.

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After they have spent a lot of time together, they may decide that they get on well with each other and should get married. This…
Key Concepts in This Paper
Gerry Spence love definition lasting relationships character appreciation physical attraction virtue recognition
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PaperDue. (2002). Gerry Spence's definition of love and lasting relationships. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/love-is-how-we-feel-toward-those-133481

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