Age: 18 year 2 months 28 days
2:08am
So, I’ve been reading CS Lewis’s The Four Loves and don’t fully understand every insight laid out. I’ve been reading it fast enough to get a general idea, but to process it will probably take another read. Anyway, I figured that I should reflect on some things to try to achieve the best understanding possible on this first read.
For one, I am only partially grasping his definitions of love. It’s frustrating to not understand a simple definition on first read, but that’s another issue.
Let’s start with need-pleasure as I understand it. Need pleasure is the sort of pleasure that is situational. It is the pleasure that comes out of satisfying a certain desire. I am thirsty therefore I get pleasure out of drinking. Simple enough. Gift pleasure is pleasure but naturally arises from a situation. It comes when I am content and have no needs, and it is an extra bonus. So I am happily out for a walk and the fresh smell in the air gives me pleasure, above & beyond, and unexpectedly. Also simple enough.
Then we get to love. Well no, first we must note that some Pleasures can be of the first or second kind depending on the situation. Okay, now to love. What is need love exactly? Need love is a love that must be fulfilled. It is selfish, or looks at the cells. It’s not evil or wrong, but can be misused. Gift love is the love a mother has for her child (maybe?). It is not dependent, it is not selfish. It is a giving of oneself unselfishly to benefit the others needs.
I still don’t feel like I have a full, comprehensive grasp on the loves. And affection, I’m at a loss. How does it work? How come the pleasures are so easy to grasp with, and I can’t comprehend to the loves as well?
And what is this affection love for animals? We use animals to give all our affections to, because by serving them they return affection? Or we are affectionate to animals as our link back to nature? Why are these concepts hard to make sense of? I need a second reading, and I don’t want to need it. I think that I will continue reading though.
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