THE NATURE OF LOVE: A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE ERICH FROMM THE ART OF LOVING

MISPERCEPTION OF LOVE “MOST PEOPLE SEE THE PROBLEM OF LOVE PRIMARILY AS THAT OF “BEING LOVED”, RATHER THAN THAT OF “LOVING”, OF ONES CAPACITY TO LOVE.” HENCE “…WHAT MOST PEOPLE IN OUR CULTURE MEAN BY “BEING LOVABLE” IS ESSENTIALLY A MIXTURE BETWEEN BEING POPULAR AND BEING (PHYSICALLY APPEALING).” IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE HUMAN TRAIT OF LOVE: ADJUST THE STARTING POINT TO ACTIVELY LOVING RATHER THAN PASSIVELY WAITING “TO BE” LOVED!

LOVE IS AN ART THE FIRST STEP TO TAKE AS ONE ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF LOVE “… IS TO BECOME AWARE THAT LOVE IS AN ART… IF WE WANT TO LEARN HOW TO LOVE WE MUST PROCEED IN THE SAME WAY WE HAVE IF WE WANT TO LEARN ANY OTHER ART, SAY MUSIC, PAINTING ETC….” LOVE IS AN ART LIKE ANY OTHER… 

NATURE OF LOVE “LOVE IS AN ACTIVITY, NOT A PASSIVE AFFECT... THE ACTIVE CHARACTER OF LOVE CAN BE DESCRIBED BY STATING THAT LOVE IS PRIMARILY (FOCUSED ON) GIVING…” LIKE ANY ART IT REQUIRES PRACTICE! PRACTICE BEING ACTIVELY LOVING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS! FOR THE DEVELOPED CHARACTER TYPE, “GIVING IS THE MIGHTIEST EXPRESSION… IN THE ACT OF GIVING, I EXPERIENCE MY (GREATEST) STRENGTH, MY WEALTH, MY POWER.” WHEN I ACTIVELY PRACTICE LOVE I REACH MY GREATEST HUMAN POTENTIAL!

NATURE OF LOVE “GIVING IS MORE JOYOUS THAN RECEIVING, NOT BECAUSE IT IS A DEPRIVATION, BUT BECAUSE IN THE ACT OF GIVING LIES THE EXPRESSION OF MY ALIVENESS.” THE MORE I TAKE, THE LESS HUMAN I BECOME, THE MORE I GIVE THE MORE TRULY HUMAN (ALIVE) I AM!

NATURE OF LOVE “IN GIVING OF HIS LIFE, MANKIND ENRICHES THE OTHER PERSON, HE ENHANCES THE OTHER’S SENSE OF ALIVENESS BY ENHANCING HIS OWN SENSE OF ALIVENESS.”  WHEN WE ACTIVELY LOVE WE ARE MOST TRULY (FULLY) HUMAN (ALIVE AS SUCH)!  IN ACTIVELY LOVING THE OTHER WE BECOME A MIRROR FOR THEM TO SEE THEIR OWN GREATEST POTENTIAL TO ACTIVELY LOVE ANOTHER AND HENCE WE, “ENHANCE THE OTHER’S SENSE OF ALIVENESS!”

WHAT’S NECESSARY FOR LOVE? I. “… THE MAIN CONDITION FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT OF LOVE IS THE OVERCOMING OF ONE’S NARCISSISM.” (Narcissism: Excessive interest in oneself...) THE NEED TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF SELF AND BECOMING MORE FOCUSED ON THE “OTHER”… TO BECOME SELFLESS RATHER THAN SELF- 0BSESSED.

WHAT’S NECESSARY FOR LOVE? II. “THE ABILITY TO LOVE DEPENDS ON ONE’S CAPACITY TO EMERGE FROM (BEING SELF-FOCUSED), TO DEVELOP A PRODUCTIVE ORIENTATION IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TOWARD THE WORLD…” IN BECOMING MORE “OTHER” FOCUSED THE PERSON SHOULD BEGIN TO CONTRIBUTE (BE PRODUCTIVE) IN HER OR HIS ENGAGING OF THE WORLD-AT-LARGE.

CONCLUSION CONSIDERING FROMM’S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE NATURE OF LOVE IN HUMANITY AND HIS STEPS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE ACTIVE LOVE, THE CHRISTIAN AUDIENCE IS REMINDED OF THE NEED TO ENGAGE IN: FAITH : OR THE SELF ACTIVELY ENGAGING THE OTHER AS A PATH TO REFLECTING THE LOVE OF GOD (ENGAGING GOD).

THROUGH YOUR LENS… NOW, TAKE A FEW MINUTES & IN YOUR NOTES TYPE THREE (3) WAYS YOU CAN MORE ACTIVELY/PRACTICALLY LOVE ON A DAILY BASIS, EITHER AT SJC OR IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AWAY FROM SCHOOL.