Love and attachment. A lot of the time, people can get these two interchanged with one another. However, that shouldn’t be the case. These are two very different concepts, and there is a need to differentiate them from one another. This article is going to point out particular distinctions between these two principles. It can be effortless to fall into the trap of thinking that loving another person means attaching yourself to them as well. However, that’s not the right perspective to have. Read on to find out more.
Love vs. Attachment
Love is probably one of the most amazing things that you could ever experience or share with another human being in this life. Love might be the one reason that motivates us all to keep on living. As they say, love makes the world go around. And frankly, it’s not all that hard to see why. It would be tough to try to define it in specific universal terms. However, there is still a need to explain it to a certain extent to make that distinction between love and attachment.
When you fall in love with someone, you develop a sense of familiarity and comfort with that person. And it’s never something that happens in the blink of an eye. They say that love, at first sight, is possible, but that isn’t the truth. The truth is that love is a slow and gradual process. It’s something that you continuously build on for as long as you are with that person. There are no limits or bounds to which you can love another human being. And it’s important to emphasize that true love has no end. It’s something that can transcend the grandest challenges and setbacks.
But how does it differentiate itself from attachment? Like love, when you grow attached to someone, it’s also a development of familiarity and comfort. Also, like love, the enclosure can be a slow and gradual process, as well. You don’t necessarily get attached to something instantaneously. It’s also a prolonged and systematic buildup.
So, if attachment looks a lot like love, what’s the difference?
Love in the Face of Adversity
The difference here is in one’s ability to withstand adversity. Love is one of the most influential forces on the face of this earth. Attachment is fragile. When you fall in love with someone, it’s something that is built to last. Love is a force that is strong enough to withstand even the most robust trials and circumstances that a human being may face. However, attachment is not. Attachment is something that trembles at the sight of adversity. It’s so easy for someone who is attached to fade away when faced with troubles.
For instance, two people who genuinely love one another wouldn’t be afraid of distance. However, people who are merely attached will have difficulty sustaining a bond through the gap. Two people who love one another would be able to let each other go. Two people who are connected would feel bitter at having to make the other go. You can always love someone that you are attached to. However, it’s unhealthy to be attached to someone that you love.
With attachment, there is a sense of control and ownership. And that’s really what differentiates it from love. With love, you are always looking to trust one another. There is absolute freedom there. However, with attachment, there is still a certain level of possessiveness. And that’s what makes it unhealthy and unsustainable.
Always Strive for Love
Love is still pure, honest, and utterly selfless. It does not have any conditions, reservations, or requirements. True love is going to be completely free of any egotistical or narcissistic tendencies. True love is something that is built on compromise, understanding, open-mindedness, and respect.
Attachment is the only thing in the world that can destroy a perfectly good love affair.
If you are wondering about how you can love someone without being attached to them, then follow these tips:
- You have to love your partner without any boundaries. This means that there should be no limits to which you would love this individual. There is no cap on the amount of love that you would give them.
- Love your partner openly. They should never be left to wonder or doubt the love that you have for them.
- You have to love your partner without any conditions. This means that you love them for who they are. Regardless of what they look like or how they act, you should still give them the love they deserve.
- And also, you need to perfect the art of self-love. It’s only through loving yourself wherein you can learn how to love another person without attachment.
