Alright so here’s how I tackled this love meanings question. Started off feeling kinda confused after my last breakup, right? Like what even IS love actually? Saw some TikTok vids about “the five love languages” but that felt too… fluffy. So I grabbed my laptop at midnight and just started digging.
The Deep Dive
First I pulled up this ancient Greek philosophy website – weird place but goldmine apparently. Turns out they broke love down into categories way back. Spent two hours clicking through dusty digital archives, coffee going cold. Nearly gave up till I found this professor’s lecture transcript. Bingo! Highlighted five weird words:
- Eros: That firework feeling when you first lock eyes
- Philia: How you’d take a bullet for your ride-or-die homie
- Ludus: Playful flirty energy like teasing at parties
- Pragma: Practical stuff like paying rent together
- Agape: Selfless stuff like caring for sick parents
Testing Theories IRL
Next morning I obsessively started tracking every “love” moment in my notes app. When my mom video-called? Agape. My dumb inside jokes with Dave? Pure Ludus. That tense talk about splitting chores with my roommate? Surprisingly Pragma! Actually mapped my last relationship with colored highlighters – looked like a kindergarten art project. Blew my mind seeing how Eros faded quick while Philia grew super slow like moss on a rock.
Tried confessing this discovery to Jenny at brunch. She just blinked hard and asked “So my Tinder dates fail because… I’m using Pragma wrong?” We both died laughing. But later she texted “Actually explained why I stayed with my toxic ex – thought it was Eros when really I just hated being alone.”
The Lightbulb Moment
Here’s the kicker though – nobody gets all five equally. My dad’s great at Pragma (dude remembers every oil change date) but sucks at Ludus. Watched him try joking at Thanksgiving – cringe city! Realized my own Achilles heel is expecting Philia-level bonds overnight. Now I don’t panic when the fireworks end. Just check which “love bucket” needs filling – way easier than chasing some Hollywood fantasy.
Anyway. Next time someone asks “what is love?” I’m handing them this messy notebook. More useful than flowers honestly.
