Sunday Inspiration: “Love isn’t something natural”
“Love isn’t something natural.
Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism.
It isn’t a feeling, it is a practice.” –Eric Fromm
Years have passed since I read Eric Fromm’s The Art of Loving, but I still find his notions of love to be inspirational.
Fromm doesn’t sugar coat love and blow fairy dust. He emphasizes that love is a mature choice, and it’s not an easy one. Love requires a letting go of ego, a sacrifice of rigidity, and a commitment to practicing love in all we do.
“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence,” he writes.
I agree with all my heart.
Happy Valentine’s Day — just a little early.
Yesterday I was at the 100th birthday of a dear friend who married her old sweetheart a year ago. They sang their love song together and then repeated their wedding vows as they do to each other every day. It was absolutely spiritual to me and all who attended. Just wanted to share!!! Xxx iris
That’s so lovely, Iris.
Thanks for mentioning Eric Fromm’s book! I read it so long ago and it is still having an effect on me! In fact it was about the time of my 30th birthday and I was having marriage troubles. I wished that I could have shared it with my mate, but he was not having any of that “psycho stuff”. I can laugh now but at the time….
I recommend this book to anyone who seems confused about what LOVE is.
BTW I am looking forward to my 84th birthday. The book and I are oldies but goodies!!!
Loved reading this. Proman (my husband) introduced me to Fromm in college. And yes, that was a long time ago for us, too. Good ideas and insights remain with us, don’t they?
Happy Valentine’s Day, to you Emilie and Proman!!!!
Thanks, Nancy. And the same to you and yours.