What kind(s) of lover are you?

There is a word that leaves people off their seat. A single word exists that humbles men and can destabilize a whole woman. A word which if not properly understood and defined will cause youths to stumble. This word is Love.

It is wonderful to know that love has been given a lot of meaning depending on the kind of discussion going on or the context of a passage.

The different kinds of love identified in the world today are

• Eros - which is an erotic, romantic and passionate love. This usually exists between couples

• Philia - Which is a friendly love. This exists among friends, mates and pals.

• Storge - Which is parental love. This exists between the parent and child.

• Agape - which is love of mankind. This exists generally amongst humanity.

I personally would categorize these kinds of love as natural and unnatural.

The kinds of love which should come naturally are the agape and storge love.

As soon as a baby breathes its first, the baby should have a feeling for humanity. Love for humanity should know no bounds, it should not depend on race, history or on religion. It should be natural for a man to do good to others and not harm or enslave his fellow man. This is agape love and should be natural.

Also, no one should teach a parent to love his or her own child. This is evident and common. Parents love their children. However, there are parents who have bitterness towards their children due to the condition at which they give birth. A mother may have bitterness towards her own child if the pregnancy is as a result of rape, if she endured too much pain during delivery or if it is an unwanted pregnancy which could potentially ruin the mother's career. However, all these reasons are not the innocent baby's fault and the baby retains the right to be loved and properly cared for by the parent if responsible. This is storge love and should be natural.

The unnatural kinds of love which can be grown are Eros and Philia kind of love.

Friends are meant to have love for one another if good friends. This love is not natural, but rather developed and grown. It grows based on experience, faithfulness to friendship and longevity. It is void of every iota of selfishness and jealousy. As time goes on, the level of trusts increases and you can trust mate or mates to love them more in this realm. In most cases if towards opposite sex, this kind of love develops into Eros kind of love.

Talking about Eros, love at first sight could exist, but it takes true love decision to grow the love at first sight. Love at first sight is usually based on infatuation due to the physical attributes seen at the first sight. It grows unto true love if the personality, that is behavioural attributes discovered compliments the good physical attributes admired. This love could be the one of the deepest kind of love because it requires the agape love for humanity and the Philia love for friendship to develop unto this kind of love.

Now tell me, what kind of a lover(s) are you?