Chapter 5 Chapter 2 The Theory of Love-3

(3) The object of love Love is not first of all a relationship with a particular person, but more of an attitude, a disposition of character.This attitude determines a person's relationship to the whole world, not to the only "object" of love.If a person only loves his object and is indifferent to other people, his love is not love, but a symbiotic organic connection or a higher sense of selfishness.Even so, most people think that love depends on the object, not the ability.They even think that loving only one person is proof of strong love.We have already mentioned this erroneous conclusion above.Just because people don't think of love as a positive act, a force of the soul, they think that if they just find the object of love, something else will follow.This attitude can be compared with a person who wants to paint a picture: although this person wants to paint, he does not learn the art of painting, but emphasizes that he must first find a suitable object he wants to paint.If he found such a thing, he too could paint.If I do love one, then I love others, and I love the world, I love life.If I can say to one person, "I love you," I should also be able to say, "I love everyone in you, the world, and myself."

The idea that love is a relationship that concerns all, rather than just one, does not mean that the different forms of love do not differ in their object of love.