“Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendid thing love. Love lifts up where we belong. All you need is love!” – Moulin Rouge, “Elephant Love Medley”
All you need is love! That is the message that pop songs, movies, society, and Valentine’s Day send to singles. Is love all that you need to live a happy and meaningful life? There are many different types of love. All you need is love but it does not need to be romantic love. All you need is love and here are six other types of love that singles can embrace to escape the love game.
All You Need Is Love? Singles Love Game
Love Your Neighbor
It is important to love your neighbor as yourself because it is attributed to a living a virtuous life. The virtues that stem from loving your neighbor as yourself include courage, temperance, liberality, magnificence, pride, honor, good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, wit, friendship, and justice. These twelve virtues lead to a well-ordered soul and eudaimonia. These are the best activities which humans are capable of doing to others and in society while displaying self-realization and self-love.
Love Yourself
Love yourself and love who you are as a person! Self-love is important because it combines self-acceptance, self-possession, self-awareness, kindness, and respect for yourself. Once you fully accept yourself and are aware of yourself as a person it leads to treating and respecting yourself better and being able to direct and control yourself. This self-love will better help to direct your desires, passions, and ambitions so that you can achieve your goals. However, self-love is difficult because you know everything that you have done, good or bad, and you have to live with yourself which makes you your hardest critic. Despite that difficult, learn to love yourself and to come to terms with who you are as a person.
Love of Country
Love of country, or patriotism, is important because it is an attachment or commitment to one’s country, nation, or political community. Patriotism is important because you are part of your country and you can work to direct change in your country through political and social involvement in politics. Love of country is for your nation but it can go down to your state, local, and community levels. Make a point to be involved in politics and in your community to work to change it into what you want them to look like in the next one, five, ten, and more years. Leave a country that you are proud of to future generations of single people.
Agape
Agape love is unconditional and compassionate love. This love is about sharing humanity with people. You can be compassionate and emphatic towards others because they are human, just like you. They are equal to you and have the same natural rights as you. It does not matter where they come from or the walk of life that they come because everyone is human. That is agape love.
Storge
Storge is familial love. This is an unforced, natural, and instinctual love. Everyone has a family. You may not always get along but you are connected blood, genealogy, and you are part of that family from birth. It is natural and intrinsic love. If you are a single who wants to date and eventually marry, you may experience this love as well between you and your spouse along with children as you start a family.
Phileo
Affection, fondness, and liking others is phileo love. This love is focused on caring and being kind towards other people who you may like or dislike. This is the friendship love. You have various ranges of friendships from a best friend, acquaintances, colleagues, and people who you meet in you daily life. Practice phileo love towards people in a society that become more antagonistic towards people who do not share your worldview. Be kind to others singles.
Summary
Let’s play a love game! No, it’s not that love game! This Valentine’s Day you don’t need to feel bad that you don’t have a date to celebrate romantic love. Instead, you can focus on these six types of love: love of neighbor, self-love, patriotism, agape, storge, and phileo. There is more to life than romantic love and these six types of love for singles: love yourself, your neighbor, humanity, your family, your friends, and your country. It is up to choose the order of these different loves. All you need is love? Yes, but it does not need to be romantic erotic love singles! Are you in the game?
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
