"Valentine's Day is traditionally a time of heart-shaped balloons, overpriced roses and fully-booked restaurants. Couples kiss and hold hands, smiling selfies celebrate a day of public displays of devotion. Why do so many of us feel such pressure to offer grand gestures, buy pricey gifts, and go through elaborate displays of affection? Presumably, to prove our love. Valentine's Day is a showy, one-day-a-year demonstration that promises to do just that."
"For the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322BC), however, this approach misunderstands the nature of love. For him, the true form of love wasn't intense passion or grand gestures on one day of the year. Instead, it's a steady commitment to help your beloved grow into their best version through everyday practices of care. Aristotle wrote extensively about love, friendship and their place in a good life."
Love should be practiced as a steady commitment to another person's growth and flourishing rather than as intense passion or occasional grand gestures. Humans are social and pairing creatures whose flourishing depends on relationships and a shared common good. Loving well includes learning to love oneself most and extending that self-love toward another so each becomes another self. Aristotle emphasized love and friendship as integral to a good life and connected virtue with happiness. Ethical practice involves everyday habits of care that promote individual and shared excellence.
Read at The Conversation
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