The Arc of Love
How Our Romantic Lives Change over Time
9780226633909
9780226634067
The Arc of Love
How Our Romantic Lives Change over Time
Is love best when it is fresh? For many, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The intense experiences that characterize new love are impossible to replicate, leading to wistful reflection and even a repeated pursuit of such ecstatic beginnings.
Aaron Ben-Ze’ev takes these experiences seriously, but he’s also here to remind us of the benefits of profound love—an emotion that can only develop with time. In The Arc of Love, he provides an in-depth, philosophical account of the experiences that arise in early, intense love—sexual passion, novelty, change—as well as the benefits of cultivating long-term, profound love—stability, development, calmness. Ben-Ze’ev analyzes the core of emotions many experience in early love and the challenges they encounter, and he offers pointers for weathering these challenges. Deploying the rigorous analysis of a philosopher, but writing clearly and in an often humorous style with an eye to lived experience, he takes on topics like compromise, commitment, polyamory, choosing a partner, online dating, and when to say “I love you.” Ultimately, Ben-Ze’ev assures us, while love is indeed best when fresh, if we tend to it carefully, it can become more delicious and nourishing even as time marches on.
Aaron Ben-Ze’ev takes these experiences seriously, but he’s also here to remind us of the benefits of profound love—an emotion that can only develop with time. In The Arc of Love, he provides an in-depth, philosophical account of the experiences that arise in early, intense love—sexual passion, novelty, change—as well as the benefits of cultivating long-term, profound love—stability, development, calmness. Ben-Ze’ev analyzes the core of emotions many experience in early love and the challenges they encounter, and he offers pointers for weathering these challenges. Deploying the rigorous analysis of a philosopher, but writing clearly and in an often humorous style with an eye to lived experience, he takes on topics like compromise, commitment, polyamory, choosing a partner, online dating, and when to say “I love you.” Ultimately, Ben-Ze’ev assures us, while love is indeed best when fresh, if we tend to it carefully, it can become more delicious and nourishing even as time marches on.
288 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2019
Philosophy: General Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Society
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Possibility of Long-Term Romantic Love
2. Emotional Experiences
3. Romantic Experiences
4. Fostering Enduring Romantic Love
5. The Role of Time in Love
6. The Romantic Connection
7. Romantic Compromises
8. Choosing a Romantic Partner
9. Romantic Relationships
10. Sexual Relationships
11. Love in Later Life
12. Greater Diversity and Flexibility
13. A Balanced Diet Is the New Romantic Feast
14. Afterword: Fresh Eggs, Aging Wine, and Profound Love
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
Index
1. The Possibility of Long-Term Romantic Love
2. Emotional Experiences
3. Romantic Experiences
4. Fostering Enduring Romantic Love
5. The Role of Time in Love
6. The Romantic Connection
7. Romantic Compromises
8. Choosing a Romantic Partner
9. Romantic Relationships
10. Sexual Relationships
11. Love in Later Life
12. Greater Diversity and Flexibility
13. A Balanced Diet Is the New Romantic Feast
14. Afterword: Fresh Eggs, Aging Wine, and Profound Love
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
Index
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