What is agape love and its characteristics

Surely, at some point in our lives we have felt, expressed or given love to the people around us. This is the purest, strongest and most complex feeling that exists. For this reason, many people throughout history, including philosophers, psychologists, and researchers, have tried to explain what true love is.

Have you ever heard of agape love? In this Psychology-Online article we will explain in detail what is agape love and its characteristicsIn addition, you will also discover some examples so that you understand the reasons why it is considered the purest, most unconditional and benevolent form of love that exists in the world.

Index

1. what is agape love
2. What is agape love according to the Bible
3. Examples of agape love
4. Types of love according to the Greek philosophers

agape love is a powerful and selfless feeling that causes the people who manifest it to give everything without expecting anything in return. It is a love far from romanticism, sexual or physical desire and that only focuses on achieving the well-being and tranquility of the loved one.

This concept comes from the Greek word “ἀγάπη”, which translates as pure and thoughtful love. One of the main characteristics of agape love is that it responds to the will and moves away from desire. In turn, in the book The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis describes agape love as "the highest level of manifestation of love that people can give."

Therefore, it is a sincere and pure love in which people are accepted as they are. In the same way, this type of love implies the voluntary sacrifice of the time and resources necessary for the another person achieves balance and well-being for her, even if it means giving up her own ego and desires personal.

Agape love is referred to many times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. These texts express God's love towards living beings and present a kind of brotherly gathering in which believers care for each other. This can be seen in chapters such as John 4:8, Luke 10:27, Matthew 6:24, among others, in which allusion is made to the pure manifestation of love that God professes towards people.

Likewise, the Bible reflects agape love as the highest feeling of affection to which we all have the right, not because we deserve it, but because God promised it. Therefore, the Bible describes agape love as the most merciful love, which human beings must practice among themselves.

One of the best known examples for the Christian community for agape love is the one that appears in the passage Biblical John 3:16, which tells how God gave his only son to be sacrificed to save the humanity. This was an example of love that surpasses all demonstration of any other kind of love possible.

In daily life there are also many examples of agape love, such as:

• The feeling of dedication of many parents towards their children and that they can do whatever it takes to make them happy and well.
• He community service that many organizations and institutions do for unknown people, where they can provide support with food, health, medical attention and other services so that they are well cared for.
• The couples who love each other deeply and whose love is based on respect, understanding, solidarity, acceptance and patience.

In addition to agape love, the ancient Greek philosophers used three other terms to refer to the love. This is because they considered that love was not a single feeling, but that there are a number of ways in which this feeling can present itself. We show them to you below:

Love Philia

According to the Greek philosophers, philia love seeks promote the welfare of others and implies affection, friendship and affection. In this type of love, admiration is also very important and is related to the feeling of friendship.

In this sense, Aristotle and Nicomachean described this type of love to refer to the admiration they felt for the achievements of their fellow thinkers. It is a feeling that can cross the barrier of generations, just as it happens with family love.

love eros

For the ancient Greeks, Eros represents passion, desire and fertility. For this reason, agape love refers to passionate people with great sexual attraction. Eros love is a more conditioned type of love because in order to satisfy pleasure it is necessary to receive something in exchange from the other person.

Love Storgé

Lastly, Storgé love is the love that it consolidates over time and that it is based on the natural affection that grows with the ties that exist between people. In turn, this type of love has to do with loyalty and the need to protect the loved one.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is agape love and its characteristics, we recommend that you enter our category of Feelings.

• Dupla, L. R. (2012). The essence and forms of love according to Max Scheler. Philosophical Yearbook, 69-96.
• Pascual Fernandez, A. (2016). On the myth of romantic love. Film loves and education.
• Scheller, M. (1996). Ordo amoris (Vol. 23). Caparrós editors.