Fun Fact: The Other Types of Love
Can you think of 30 meanings of “Love”?
Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
We tantalizingly told you of a few of the very different definitions and terms of love, such as Eros, Philia and Agape, according to the ancient Greeks... but we left out a lot! Indeed, there are 30 such words that encapsulate not only the core Greek love concepts, but also the love expressed for one’s community and in poetry and philosophy. Just reading through these terms, you can’t help but appreciate the nuance and importance of love.
So, in addition to the ones mentioned in yesterday’s email, here are the rest, below. Have a read through and contemplate: which ones resonate the most for you?
Core Greek Love Concepts
Eros (Ἔρως) – Passionate, romantic, and sexual love.
Philia (Φιλία) – Deep friendship, brotherly love.
Agape (Ἀγάπη) – Unconditional, divine, or selfless love.
Storge (Στοργή) – Familial love, natural affection (e.g., parent-child bond).
Ludus (Λούδος) – Playful, flirtatious, or uncommitted love.
Pragma (Πράγμα) – Mature, practical, and enduring love.
Mania (Μανία) – Obsessive, possessive, or dependent love.
Philautia (Φιλαυτία) – Self-love, which can be healthy or narcissistic.
Meraki (Μεράκι) – Love for creativity and passion in work.
Eunoia (Εὔνοια) – Benevolent love, goodwill toward others.
Social & Community-Based Love
Xenia (Ξενία) – Love expressed through hospitality and kindness to strangers.
Pothos (Πόθος) – Love as longing or yearning (often for something unattainable).
Anánkē (Ἀνάγκη) – Fated or destined love (connected to fate and necessity).
Thelema (Θέλημα) – Passionate desire and will to pursue something/someone.
Epieikeia (Ἐπιείκεια) – Love expressed through fairness and kindness.
Charis (Χάρις) – Love expressed through grace and gratitude.
Homonoia (Ὁμόνοια) – Love that fosters unity and harmony in a community.
Hetairia (Ἑταιρία) – Comradeship and companionship.
Eusebeia (Εὐσέβεια) – Pious love and reverence (for gods, traditions, or elders).
Sophrosyne (Σωφροσύνη) – Balanced love rooted in wisdom and self-control.
Poetic & Philosophical Love
Kalliphilia (Καλλιφιλία) – Love for beauty and aesthetics.
Aretephilia (Ἀρετηφιλία) – Love of virtue and excellence.
Neikos (Νεῖκος) – Conflictual love (linked to tension and struggle).
Algos (Ἄλγος) – Love that involves suffering or pain (heartache).
Thumos (Θυμός) – Passionate love that fuels courage and drive.
Dikaiosyne (Δικαιοσύνη) – Love for justice and righteousness.
Eleos (Ἔλεος) – Compassionate love, often linked to mercy and pity.
Pistis (Πίστις) – Love expressed through faith and trust.
Noesis (Νόησις) – Intellectual love, deep understanding of another’s mind.
Eudaimonia (Εὐδαιμονία) – Love for fulfillment and happiness in life.
What did you think, dear reader?
Personally, it seems to me that it is quite fitting for Eudaimonia to finish this all important list of love. After all, the philosopher Aristotle believed that the true purpose of a human life, our whole reason for being, was to achieve eudaimonia, or “human flourishing”.
This is because Eudaimonia is not a state of being or a feeling, it is an active pursuit of wisdom and understanding. It is an exercise in self-reflection and contemplative study. Essentially, it is a way to not only achieve a good life, but the best life.
But how can we achieve Eudaimonia? What path do we need to take in order to reach this essential goal?
Of course we will continue to explore this further in these humble pages and especially within our Classical Wisdom community...Indeed, it is in the company of inspiring minds and thoughtful inquisition that we can best begin and continue this journey.
So please make sure to subscribe to our Classical Wisdom Society to achieve your Eudaimonia through the exploration of the great ideas and wisdom that came before us.
What a lovely list! I feel like these should be refrigerator magnets, kind of like those words you can move around to remind yourself what kind of day you want to have.
Wow! How fun! I literally am struggling to figure out what to say next 🤯 First off, I absolutely am in awe of the Greek language and its richness in vocabulary.
After learning this from practicing Stoicism it has made it clear to me that a lot of misunderstandings between people come from the vagueness of the language we use today. We have 1 word for emotions that are defined, expressed, and felt deeply in various ways (as you just presented).
I try to keep an awareness about this most especially during sensitive types of conversations that need to be communicated.
In regards to the 30 words that express Love—that IS Eudaimonia! 😍😍😍
Can we flourish without the bonds of Philia, the quiet magic of Meraki, or having a strong sense of self awareness required to cultivate Philautia (healthy self love)?
What a beautiful post.🙏🙏🙏 Thank you. 🤍