Romantic love encompasses the wish to enhance a partner's happiness and the desire for closeness. Non-monogamous individuals report similar satisfaction levels as their monogamous counterparts. The altruism within romantic love promotes pair-bonding and emotional stability, distinguishing it from parental love, which is often unconditional. Romantic love is characterized by reciprocity, where both partners support each other's growth without one compromising their own happiness for the sake of sacrifice. This balance of altruistic and egoistic desires forms the foundation of healthy romantic relationships.
"Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own." - H. Jackson Brown
Stanton Peele and Archie Brodsky asked: "Do you want your beloved to be happy more than you want her to be with you?" A "yes" answer, they argue, signals deep love-where the beloved's joy outweighs your desire for closeness.
Philosophers like Levinas (1998) also championed the idea that genuine love prioritizes the beloved's needs over the lover's own.
Both partners are expected to nurture and support each other's growth. Romantic love shouldn't require one person to fully sacrifice their own flourishing for the other.
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