Love motivated by a higher ideal

Love based only on our own emotions and perspective will most likely not last forever. To be honest, we are usually changing and inconsistent in how we think and feel. That is why love should be based and motivated by a higher ideal rooted in absolute principles.

The greatest ideal is the one advocated by all the great faith traditions, that is the teaching to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This ideal of sacrificial and selfless love is the key to building lasting and joyful relationships from the inter-personal level to the societal and worldwide levels.

The extended family model also advocates for love motivated by a higher ideal. In an extended family model, each family member considers the implications of their actions not just for themselves and their spouse, but for their grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren. The nuclear family model, by contrast, tends to dismiss the larger implications of each family members actions in preference to independence and self-reliance, which is not a bad thing in itself but can discourage an important aspect of love.

Mt. Pilchuck area, WA, Oct. 2013