I believe that Sternberg’s eight kinds of love provide a better understanding of love and its role in maintaining relationships with humans. Love varies among humans according to their nature. I think that people holding empty love live dissatisfied lives because they lack intimacy and passion, which are vital components of intense love.
I still believe that people with empty love can fulfill their relationships because they follow commitments, thus motivating them to stick together with their loved ones. Infatuation represents the weakest form of love because the only component it contains is passion. Passion without commitment is insufficient to attain love. People with infatuations are unable to reach their destinations (Super & Harkness, 1986).
Sternberg’s model of perfect love is non-existent in the current world because I believe people have imperfections. Consummate love is rarely visible in the real world as people do not display all components. I find Sternberg’s triangle of love appealing as he builds a vivid interconnectedness between the three components of intimacy, commitment, and passion. However, I believe that applying a love triangle in real settings is impossible. I think that people who develop commitments and manage to fulfill them can perform better in their love relationships. On the contrary, people with mere intimacy or passion are not able to turn their feelings into reality. I think that commitment remains one of the most substantial components of love when one talks in practical terms (Sternberg & Grajek, 1984).
Another concept of Sternberg that intrigues me is creating balance in a love relationship. Excessive love can result in one’s destruction and distress. Uncontrollable emotions also result from the unbalanced love that causes stress, pain, and mental instability. People who manage to maintain a balance can play better roles (Parker, 2009).
References
Parker, S. (2009). Faith development theory as a context for supervision of spiritual and religious issues. Counselor Education & Supervision, 49, 39-53.
Super, C. M., & Harkness, S. (1986). The Developmental Niche: A Conceptualization at the Interface of Child and Culture. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 9, 4, 545-569.
Sternberg, R. J., & Grajek, S. (1984). The nature of love. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 312–329.
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