Preparing for Marriage

I think the thing that I found to be the most interesting this week was from the chapter in "Marriage and Family: A Quest for Intimacy" about Falling in Love. In this chapter, the author explains that there are different styles of love and six different types of lovers; 1)erotic lover, 2) ludic lover, 3) storgic lover, 4) manic lover, 5) pragmatic lover, and 6) agapic lover.

The Erotic Lover focuses on the physical, particularly the sexual, aspects of the relationship. 

The Ludic Lover views love as a pleasant pastime but not something in which to get deeply involved. 

The Storgic Lover has a quite affection for one another and their relationships develop slowly and tend to be stable. 

The Manic Lover is intensely preoccupied with the beloved, feels intense jealousy, and alternates between ecstasy and  despair in the relationship. 

The Pragmatic Lover may take careful stock of the other, consciously assessing the characteristics of the other. 

The Agapic Lover acts of behalf of the well being of the other without demanding or perhaps even expecting any benefits in return. 

These types of lovers are found throughout the world. Pragma, storge, and ludus are somewhat dependent upon the culture,but eros, mania, and agape are the same in all cultures.