Types of Love: 8 Best Love Examples Revealed

What is love? How do you know you are in love and what are the types of love? These are the questions we ask every day about this thing called love. There are many different answers to the questions about love and in this post, we will answer some of your questions.

If you want to know in-depth about what love means and the different types of love, then you may need to read my article to find out; however, we will talk about love here as well as what love means in marriage.

What Defines Being In Love?

The question about love will get different, unique answers from different people, but from the universal description of love, it can be seen as a deep emotional attachment to someone. Trust, deep affection, and other factors facilitate emotional attachment.

In a study done in 2015 by the Greater Good Science Center, about 64% of participants described it as showing strong emotional attachment to another person.

A renowned biological anthropologist, Dr. Helen Fisher, describes being in love as “the beloved being irreplaceable and unique,” showing a deep focus and admiration.

For example, when you take a look at the story of love that existed in Romeo and Juliet, you will discover that Juliet feel on top of the world whenever Romeo is around her. That’s what love is. If you feel the same whenever you are around someone, then you are in love.

Now that you know what it means to be in love, let’s look at the types of love.

The Different Types of Love:

We will be looking at the different types of love here, but note that love has different meanings for different people, so it might sound different from what you have already seen somewhere else.

As I explained above, love is all about feeling emotionally connected to a family member or feeling a spark with someone else who is special to you.

We will take time to explore all the different types of love here, so you can see how they affect someone who has them.

1. Eros Type of Love:

The name Eros was derived from the name of a Creek God known as the God of love and desire. It is a serious type of love. This is the type of love that describes people who are purely sexually attracted to each other.

People who are engrossed in this type of love are intensely attracted because of their romantic desires, and they are ready to let go of their boundaries to get very emotional and physical.

You can relate this type of love to those times in a relationship when couples can’t have enough of each other. Most of the time, Eros love doesn’t last long. This is probably why it is seen as a dangerous type of love, as people are quickly burned out, which may cause the relationship to die quickly. That’s number one on my list of types of love.

2. Philia (deep friendship type):

Philia is one of the 8 types of love that are very common. This type of love is characterized by sharing interest, compassion, care, and respect, and it is found where friendship exists.

Philia, unlike Eros, is not motivated by sexual or physical attraction. Additionally, philia love is also known as friendship love, and it is thought to originate from Aristotle’s place of origin. In Aristotle’s words, he described philia as a type of relationship that goes beyond just liking someone.

That means that people who know so much about each other have trust and a deeper bond with each other. It can be vital, irrespective of whether you are in a romantic relationship or not.

3. Storge (family love):

Storge is also known as familial love, which exists between family members. An example of strong love is the type of love that exists between parents and their children and between brothers and their family members. It is normally built on shared history of familiarity.and it tends to become deeper as you know the person pretty well.

This type of love can also be seen as a love for a country, community, or pet. An example of strong love is found in Romans 12:10. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” This love remains strong despite challenges, conflicts and trials.

4. Agape Types of Love:

This is one of the types of love that is also very common; it is sometimes pronounced as Uh Gah Pay, which usually refers to the type of love that is selfless and unconditional. Agape love can only be attributed to the type of love Christ has that made Him die for humanity.

This kind of love refers to when someone chooses to love the other deeply, regardless of their wrongs or not loving back. We are expected to strive for such love in our relationships because it is more about what you give than what you get back.

5. Ludus love:

On my list of the different types of love is another one called Ludus. This is also known as a carefree, playful, and joyful manifestation of love that prioritizes excitement and entertainment.

This is always common in the early stages of every relationship, when everything is new. Ludus is a very important part of life because it gives us the reason to connect playfully and joyfully with each other.

Below are other characteristics of Ludus love:

It presents a humorous, joyful, and playful approach to love without much stress or seriousness.

It makes you focus on enjoying yourselves with each other; you will have time to try new things and create interesting memories.

You don’t need to be too committed to the relationship or so attached to it; you just go on and enjoy each other for the time being.

6. Pragma Love:

This is one of the types of love that is referred to as long-lasting love. This is the type of love that started gradually but has grown and endured over time.

The people involved in this type of love know how to be committed and compromise when necessary to make the relationship stand firm. They prioritize their relationship above everything else.

7. Philautia Love:

You can’t talk about the types of love without mentioning philautia love. This is because it is seen as self-love or self-compassion. Self-love or self-compassion didn’t start today; the Greeks recognized it a long time ago, and they believed one needed to love themselves before living with others.

Philautia love can also be seen as harmful when it manifests as narcissism. Narcissistic people overlove themselves and use it to harm anyone who comes into contact with them. However, that doesn’t make philautia one of the types of love we must first show in our relationships.

8. Mania Love:

The last on my list of types of love is mania. This is the type of love that is usually characterized by intense possessiveness, attachment, or dependence. The name Mania was derived from the Greek word uavia, which means madness. The people in this type of love are overly dependent on their better half and can also show some controlling signs.

Mania is also known as obsessional love, and we know that intense obsession in any relationship can cause imbalance. According to John A. Lee, “manic love is the type of love that flows out of a person to make their partner love in a special way by holding them in high esteem.

Also, every maniac loves to talk about their partners with exaggerations and, at the same time, wants their partner to do the same. That is why they are also seen as people with low self-esteem.

Some other traits of Mania love:

They don’t enjoy sexual intimacy and, most times, get frustrated at will.

They always compel their partners to fall to show effectiveness.

They are easily overwhelmed by the thoughts of their partners.

Always jealous and possessive.

Now that you know the types of love we have, let us look at the significance of love in our relationship.

The Different Stages of Love:

Outside the 8 different types of love I have described above, we still have to see the stages of love too. Although love is seen as a chemical reaction from the brain, we still have different views of how it is seen and felt. We will be looking at those stages here.

All the stages of love are heavily influenced by biological, social, and psychological factors. Once you are accustomed to these stages, it will help you know how to navigate your marriage effectively.

1) The Attraction Stage:

This is the initial stage of love. This is the initial spark that lit up love’s journey, and it is an exciting mix of emotions and biology. We are often attracted to someone for so many reasons, including their physical appearance, which triggers the release of a hormone called dopamine.

Dopamine is also known as the feel-good hormone, which is responsible for helping people feel good. This creates that initial desire to be around each other.

This stage, also known as the honeymoon stage or infatuation, is always characterized by a significant increase in lust. In this first stage of love, everyone involved wants to impress the other and feel more happy when it is reciprocated.

The people in this stage of love may not necessarily want to build a strong relationship, but just because of their lust,.

Romance Stage of Love:

This is normally the second stage of love after the initial stage of attraction. The people in this stage of love have decided to take the relationship a little deeper.

This period in a relationship is always exciting but somewhat challenging too, because the honeymoon period is over and everyone’s quirks are exposed.

At this point, communication has become most important as there is more need to talk about the future together, such as raising kids and having a house, and some may extend it to marriage.

3. Ready to Commit:

This is the most important stage of love, when the honeymoon feeling has completely faded. I call it the real-life stage. At this very stage, your eyes are open to see that you were once an angel, as you call them.

Their flaws are glaring. You saw all these at the first and second stages, but they were not counted as a fault. Now your love is no longer blind, as it can see everything as it is.

This is not the best time to throw in the towel, because it’s a good time to get to know each other better. There is no ready-made individual out there. Therefore, stand firm and build each other. When you know yourselves better, the capacity for real intimacy will open up for you.

4. Building and Nurturing Stage:

This is yet another beautiful stage of love. At this level, you may have been married, are planning to tie the knot, have children, or are cohabiting. The first three stages have lit the fire, and now you need to sustain it.

This is the stage where both of you will want to step out of your ways to make your relationship succeed through regular check-ins, commitment, and daily nurturing.

Although this stage appears to be level ground for the couples involved, it is one of the levels of love at which carefulness is mostly needed. This is because it is one of the most challenging times in any relationship.

Do not be afraid, practice self-care, use affirmative words, and practice self-love to maintain healthy dynamics. If things become unbearable, consider seeing a therapist for guidance.

5. Stability and Maturity Stage:

Wow! If you find yourself at this stage, congratulations. Although it is not rocket science to come to this stage, you will have to pass a lot of hurdles, and many people never make it to this end. That is the reason I congratulated you.

You understand the fact that it is not that easy to build a sustainable relationship, but you did it. At this point, both of you have become mature and stable, but that doesn’t mean you should stop nurturing your relationship.

There are still commitments and adjustments to make at this level to make your relationship successful. Communication is also important; give your partner time so you can trace and work on the challenges you are facing.

The more you invest in this relationship, the more it matures, so do not hesitate to do your best. Always note that challenges will still be there, but your greatest point of call should be to God and the therapist. Your friend can also be of help, but be sure you talk to your most trusted friend.

Renewal Level:

The next stage of love is the renewal stage. You can call it another honeymoon stage, but it is more than that. Renewal time is when you acknowledge all the five stages you have crossed together. This is when you deliberately plan to make your relationship stronger.

Yes, both of you have crossed many rivers together. Remember, the day’s of feeling butterflies in the stomach disappeared as the relationship progressed, but you stood your ground to make it work to this point. This renewal stage is to buttress your relationship again, to fan the flames, and to get the fire back.

It is time to kindle, nurture and conduct checks to see your relationship booming again and again. You can engage in many activities that make you happy and that bring new connections in your relationship.  These activities could be as simple as cooking together, having date nights, or trying new hobbies.

In addition, you can also take this stage as a point to acknowledge the intent with which your love has taken both of you. It is all about appreciating where your love stories have reached and the milestones you have reached together.

In Conclusion:

It is crucial to understand the various complexities and stages of love because it will help you navigate your way through your relationship much better. The truth is that love comes in a variety of forms, from the passionate Eros to the selfless commitment known as Pragma, etc.

Truly, identifying these various types of love and their stages—from the attraction stage to the renewal stage—let’s you and your spouse create deeper and more beautiful bonds. Also, understanding the type of love you are experiencing will make your relationship better and allow for mutual growth.

Thank God that you have the opportunity to appreciate the journey and the bond you have built as a team as you embrace this type of love.