Plato : Beauty = 0 Self Interest ---- True Love

True love. Most definitely exists. Although, i understand when people claim otherwise. Because I agree that it doesn't exist insofar as for most people, it simply isn't ever realized. It's something that's so scarce that rarely is true love experienced and or ever shared, so in that way it doesn't exist.

But that's not because it CANT exist. But more likely because practicality, rationale, subsistence needs, the confines of social realities, etc ; might render people unable to ever realize what true love is. Even though it's quite simple actually:

According to Plato, beauty is that which is void of self interest. I agree, I think that's what love is. It goes beyond self interest. Now when you have the reality of the aforementioned practicalities that dictate our decision making processes day by day and shape the way we live our lives, self interest becomes paramount and renders the opportunity to loving another scarce. The profound beauty that is experienced when one liberates themself from the confines of their own immediate needs for the sake of another, or greater cause.....is love. But it's not often we let ourselves do that, or come across another who shares such sentiments.....hence the rarity factor.

Of course, this then expands the definition of true love to beyond just a romantic relationship. Which is accordance to the widely held notion that parental love is the only true kind of love being that it is entirely selfless. A Platonic definition of beauty then encompasses and can explain that love we have for our parents and them for us. It's void of self interest and why we find it so beautiful. It's also why there is resounding agreement that such love is true. It's an expression of selflessness in a consistent and variety of ways.

Extending that to a romantic relationship would therefore mean that self interest, whether consciously or subconsciously, is made secondary in some capacity for true love to exist. It doesn't have to be the case at constant, but i think must exist on certain levels, and mutually for true love to be realized. That's what makes it so hard to find.

But scarcity, according to not just western philosophy, but also at the crux of basic economic theories, is the reason something like love is all the more valuable when found ;)

I mean, we can all settle for basic compatibility, mutual respect, and a fair amount of chemistry at any time with someone. But really, wouldn't it sweeter to have that plus finally experience the sublime scarcity that is selfless love?