What about people? Do we love others because we like their qualities, whether physical or mental? Or is it possible to love someone “for themselves alone”? Are some people ‘more lovable’ than others? Discuss this question in pairs or in groups, considering points like the following.(i) a parent or caregiver’s love for a newborn baby, for a mentally or physically challenged child, for a clever child or a prodigy(ii) the public’s love for a film star, a sportsperson, a politician, or a social worker(iii) your love for a friend, or brother or sister(iv) your love for a pet, and the pet’s love for you.
Answers
Sometimes, we love a person unconditionally. While at other times, we might get infatuated by the external appearance or beauty of a person.
Sometimes love is full of kindness. Hence there are a number of kinds in which this word can be viewed. We love some people because of their goodness and their qualities or because they are intelligent or hardworking or beautiful.
We love many others because of the way they behave with us and others. On the other hand, love for a baby is tenderly and full of parental affection.
A parent cannot differentiate between a normal child and a mentally/physically challenged child on the basis of affection as a parent will obviously love all equally.
On the other hand, our love for film stars and others are based on our wish to be like them. Again, we love our friend or sibling as a part of ourselves. But, our love for pet is entirely different. It is unconditional.
Hope this helps you
There is no denying the fact that the liking of an individual is highly dependent on the physical appearance and mental maturity shown at the times of interaction. Indeed some people are more lovable, but this choice depends on the individual preferences and there is no hard lined rule for this.
(i) A parent's love for a newborn baby or a mentally or physically challenged child depends only on the emotional connect and the feeling of belongingness. A parent will like the child irrespective of the mental and physical abilities but in practical terms cleverness of the child is the next benchmark for the liking.
(ii) The public's love for a film star, a sports person, a politician, a film star or sports person is based on his/her performance in the respective genre. This means that this love will eventually wither if these individuals fail to deliver on their respective jobs.
(iii) The love for siblings is basically an emotional connect. There is hardly any materialistic stance to this emotional attachment and therefore this love will remain unchanged even in the face of most difficult situations.
(iv) Love for the pets and vice versa is dependent on the compatibility between the two parties at a given instant. This means that the degree of belongingness and emotional connect can vary over time.