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- From: mbr2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Curious Of All Natures)
- Newsgroups: alt.polyamory,alt.romance,alt.sex,alt.callahans
- Subject: Re: Why I don't use the word "Love" very much
- Message-ID: <1992Nov15.224616.17623@midway.uchicago.edu>
- Date: 15 Nov 92 22:46:16 GMT
- References: <1992Nov15.114740.783@midway.uchicago.edu> <00963A4C.3DA2BFC0@Msu.oscs.montana.edu>
- Sender: news@uchinews.uchicago.edu (News System)
- Reply-To: mbr2@midway.uchicago.edu
- Organization: Universtiy of Chicago
- Lines: 37
-
- Curious Of All Natures writes:
- >> This is very important to remember! People do not mean the same
- >>thing by "love" that you do. If someone asks "Do you love me?" and you
- >>answer "yes" without elaboration, they will walk away thinking you feel
- >>what "love" means to _them_ and they won't have learned about your own
- >>unique feelings and desires and beliefs.
- >>
- oopcv replies:
- >Okay, so the next time someone says "I love you," should they get the third
- >degree? Shall I respond with, "What do you mean by _that_?" or "How do _YOU_
- >define love?"
-
- Well you don't have to be contentious about it certainly. But unless
- you know them very well - enough to know already what they mean by that,
- then they haven't really told you much about what their own unique
- feelings are like. Ask for elaboration. Or tell them what you mean by
- love and they'll discover that it's not the same as what they meant, and
- they'll clarify.
-
-
- >BTW, you shouldn't have to ask someone if they love you. By asking, you're
- >forcing them into a corner (what are they supposed to say, no?).
-
- Agreed! Rah-rah! I think that to ask a question fairly one must try
- hard to make the possible answers ok to say. (There's a limit to this
- of course, but the effort is worthwhile). A better question might be
- "How do you feel about me?", and if answers of theirs could indeed hurt
- you, at least don't threaten them with that hurt-potential.
-
-
- -Matt Ryan, truth over tact,
- mb-ryan@uchicago.edu Curious Of All Natures
- ================================== ====================================
- If I'm dreaming, never let me wake. You'll never see the end of the road
- If I'm awake, never let me sleep. When you're traveling with me.
- -old chinese fellow -Crowded House
- ================================== ====================================
-