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Eros (Passionate Love) -

Named after the Greek god of fertility, Eros comes closest to our modern concept of romantic love.

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Eros (Passionate Love) -

It is physical, powerful, and intense, and it is guided by lust, pleasure, and infatuation, meaning it usually isn't that deep.

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Eros (Passionate Love) -

Greeks were actually fearful of this love, as they associated this instinctual impulse for pleasure and procreation with a dangerous loss of control.

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Eros (Passionate Love) -

Eros is a brightly burning flame that quickly burns out unless it is fueled with another, less superficial, love.

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Ludus (Playful Love) -

Eros is often paired with Ludus, in what is sometimes called puppy love. It's the playful affection and butterflies in your stomach at the beginning of a relationship.

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Ludus (Playful Love) -

Laughing, teasing, and flirting are all telling signs of this love, but it can also be felt while laughing with friends, dancing with strangers, or sending flirty messages.

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Ludus (Playful Love) -

Some studies show that when people are experiencing this type of love, their brain acts as if it was on cocaine, lighting up as though you were high, making you feel young and euphoric.

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Philautia (Self-Love) -

Modern times have developed a commercialized version of self-love, but philautia means having pride in your work, taking care of yourself, and maintaining a loving inner dialogue.

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Philautia (Self-Love) -

You can't give other people something you don't have yourself, so people who don't love themselves can never fully experience love with others until they remedy their relationship with their self.

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Philautia (Self-Love) -

Take care not to push philautia to the extreme, however, as it can easily become narcissism, which looks more like self-obsession, vanity, and focus on one's own personal gain.

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Mania (Obsessive Love) -

An unbalanced eros and a lack of healthy philautia can turn into this mad, jealous, angry love. Mania can form in a person desperate to maintain the sense of self-value that their partner provides.

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Mania (Obsessive Love) -

Toxic behavior like stalking, codependency, paranoid jealousy, and violence are all signs of mania.

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Mania (Obsessive Love) -

Those experiencing mania fear losing the person they love, so they go to great and terrible lengths to keep them.

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Pragma (Committed Love) -

You're lucky if you've experienced pragma, a deep understanding and harmony between two people. It's an enduring love that is evident in healthy, long-term relationships.

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Pragma (Committed Love) -

Pragma is the opposite of eros, as it's about giving love instead of just finding it. Eros is a bright, quick flame, and pragma is a slow, warm burn.

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Pragma (Committed Love) -

This is not an easy love to achieve, as it requires patience, tolerance, compromise, and a significant amount of time.

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Storge (Family Love) -

This kind of love is that of kinship, naturally flowing between parents and children.

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Storge (Family Love) -

It involves an unbalanced relationship of dependency, and it is unconditional.

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Storge (Family Love) -

This kinship bond is one of the most powerful loves, and it can also sometimes grow between friends, bosses and colleagues, and owners and pets.

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Philia (Friendship Love) -

Ancient Greeks valued philia over all the other types of love, as it is a love shared between people who consider themselves equals.

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Philia (Friendship Love) -

Some characteristics of this bond include loyalty, communicating good and bad emotions, sacrifice, and a shared goodwill.

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Philia (Friendship Love) -

While this love has no sexual element, the intimacy of this companionship has the power to transform eros from a physical lust to a more spiritual bond.

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Philia (Friendship Love) -

You may have heard of philia as "platonic" love, as it was Plato who argued that physical attraction wasn’t necessary for love.

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Agape (Compassionate Love) -

This love is selfless, unconditional, and extends to every single person in the world. It's an undiscriminating love for humanity as a whole.

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Agape (Compassionate Love) -

Empathy is key to agape, which is believed to be the highest form of love, yet is also in too-short supply today.

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Agape (Compassionate Love) -

This love is given freely to people of all walks of life, and without any expectations or judgment.

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Agape (Compassionate Love) -

The ancient Greeks believed this love to be radical, as so few seem capable of experiencing it long-term. It's the kind of love attributed to figures like Jesus Christ (i.e. suffering for the happiness of others).

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Another important key when it comes to love -

Everyone gives and receives love differently, and some people are more capable of experiencing certain types of love than others. The love you value most is ultimately up to you.

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Five love languages -

A much more modern take on love has been Dr. Gary Chapman's popular love languages, which are five different ways of expressing and receiving love. 

Click here to find out which love language you speak.

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