I bet you never thought you could learn about love from Wedding Crashers quotes, but this incredibly popular motion picture can actually teach us a lot or at least foster discussion. Take this quote from Owen Wilson’s character John Beckwith to a group of children at a wedding, “Love doesn’t exist, that’s what I’m trying to tell you guys. And I’m not picking on love, ’cause I don’t think friendship exists either.” Actually pretty funny…but do you believe it is true?
The answer depends on how you define the word love (in all debate the whole issue of winning or loosing depends on how you define the terms). The ancient Greeks had three main words for the English word “love:” “eros,” “phileo,” and “agape.” “Eros” was the Greek word for erotic love and they prided themselves on that use of love (in a few strange ways mind you). Second, the word “phileo” means a form of love that is like a brother and that is from where the city of
I can promise that many people in this world love with the Greek word “eros!” Sorry John Beckwith, that form of love does exist and you loved in that way in the movie…quite a bit! Can you love like a brother or sister by “phileo?” You probably loved in that form in the last few hours or days with member of your family. Sorry John, wrong again. Third, does the “agape” form of love exist? Well…that is a difficult answer. I may be wrong, but Owen Wilson’s character had difficulty with that form of love in the movie. He was torn between loving erotically and loving sacrificially, in a more meaningful manner.
I believe that all three forms of love exist and they are all very important in a relationship. I can remember being asked if I had these three forms of love for the girl whom I was thinking about marrying. They are all three very important, but there is one that will make a relationship…the “agape” love.
A relationship can survive without the first two forms of love, but it cannot survive without sacrificial love. You see all the movie stars and otherwise marrying because they feel the “eros” love. When it fades, so does the relationship and they split up, running to another who can give them that form of love.
If you want to keep a relationship going, love in an “agape” way.
For more information on how you can determine if your relationship is based on “eros,” “phileo,” and/or “agape” click here and we can arrange a compatibility test. ConnectionCare.com LLC would love to talk with you about how you can connect more in your relationship.
