[H3rmit]

Can you relate to the subject line? I saw this in someone's profile not on this website. I am trying to understanding it. I googled "I love people", found this site where people love a subset of people:

I ♥ PEOPLE WHO...

And here's a quote from Sylvia Plath, who seems to love people as a writer does - as material.

>I love people. Everybody. I love them, I think, as a stamp collector loves his collection. Every story, every incident, every bit of conversation is raw material for me. My love's not impersonal yet not wholly subjective either. I would like to be everyone, a cripple, a dying man, a *****, and then come back to write about my thoughts, my emotions, as that person. But I am not omniscient. I have to live my life, and it is the only one I'll ever have. And you cannot regard your own life with objective curiosity all the time...”

Further thoughts?

[lynn P.]

I clicked on the link and that was the longest page I've seen lol...thought it would never end There was also some swear words. About the loving people...I enjoy some and love my kids...find some interesting.

[Moodswing]

Thank goodness for people who love people because God only know how I can not even stand being human.

[unaluna]

... it's living I have a problem with. Sigh. It's complicated.

[Travelinglady]

I think they miss the point about what love truly is. Plath was interested in people only because they might help her writing. (She had her problems, as I think most of us know....)

And the other site seems to be asking people to pick out a subset of folks to "love." It sounds like "I love people who are nice to me and who are like I am." Of course, that's easy to do. The hard part is loving people just because....

Maybe it's because I am a psychologist (and I was interested in working with people, anyway), but I try to love people in general. My religion also teaches me that I am to love without restrictions. Of course, I might not like what they do or say, however.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

The hard part is loving people just because....

Maybe it's because I am a psychologist (and I was interested in working with people, anyway), but I try to love people in general. My religion also teaches me that I am to love without restrictions. Of course, I might not like what they do or say, however.

I agree the sites miss the point and "I love people" must mean something else. Sounds like you do. Can you expand on that? My mother felt the same way and she was a social worker. It is alien to me - I land more on the misanthrope side, likely based on how most people have treated me and how no spider or snake has ever hurt me.

"I love animals."
That's my quote. I even like spiders, and I love snakes.
People I can do just fine without maybe but a few of, on a good day.

Originally Posted by H3rmit

I agree the sites miss the point and "I love people" must mean something else. Sounds like you do. Can you expand on that? My mother felt the same way and she was a social worker. It is alien to me - I land more on the misanthrope side, likely based on how most people have treated me and how no spider or snake has ever hurt me.

Whoa. I made the spider/snake comment above before I consciously read your post above mine. Bet my unsconsious saw it tho. I love psychology...sorry, that was fun.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by sorta_fairytale

"I love animals."
That's my quote. I even like spiders, and I love snakes.

Yes, agreed. It doesn't answer the question in the least, but I agree. This is a serious question for me, given that I'm stuck in a world with so many people.

[allimsaying]

For me, loving people is what its all about. Whatever emotion I have aside from loving them is how I start to build the path towards love. If they make me angry or happy or sad or whatever, I follow my heart and make a path through any emotions I have to feel first but my goal is to end up loving them. It makes my heart complete and closes the circle and the gap between us. It is what fulfills my life, without it, I'd be an empty glass.

[The_little_didgee]

I love people who are...

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by allimsaying

For me, loving people is what its all about. Whatever emotion I have aside from loving them is how I start to build the path towards love. If they make me angry or happy or sad or whatever, I follow my heart and make a path through any emotions I have to feel first but my goal is to end up loving them. It makes my heart complete and closes the circle and the gap between us. It is what fulfills my life, without it, I'd be an empty glass.

I will try to understand that.
I'm not terrible fond of the word "love" with respect to people anyway. It seems so misused in most cases. The closest I can get is "accept." I find humans hard to accept. So, what you're saying is that what matters is that you feel the love, not whether they are any particular type of people - just complex mammals, say. Nothing special about humans? Or is there?

Originally Posted by Moodswing

. . . I can not even stand being human.

Agreed.

For anyone else posting, loving a subset of people such as one's spouse or some category of people is quite irrelevant. It's the unrestricted love of people I am asking about.

[allimsaying]

I feel that love is broad and covers all things, living, dead, inanimate, or what have you. If I can love all things, beings, people, animals, yes, even events, it heals my heart, my soul, I am then able to give that love to those things I think about and that feeling, giving and having it return to me, whether given in return or not, is what fulfills and completes, and gives my existence a solid reason and foundation for being. Did that answer your question? I hope I understood what you were asking correctly.

Acceptance is another word for love I think but to put the full meaning of love into the word love, for me, brings greater clarity of what my purpose and goal is all about. Using the word love gives me an absolute, definable and positive direction to channel my energy, whether in thought, or action. It keeps me focused on my main goal which is of healing myself and as much of any part of the world I might come into contact with.

For you, its acceptance and thats not a bad thing at all.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by allimsaying

For you, its acceptance and thats not a bad thing at all.

Well, there's acceptance as tolerance or a somewhat grudging acceptance, and there's a wider and warmer acceptance that I have for my husband.

Originally Posted by allimsaying

If I can love all things, beings, people, animals, yes, even events, it my heart, my soul, I am then able to give that love to those things I think about and that feeling, giving and having it return toheals me, whether given in return or not, is what fulfills and completes, and gives my existence a solid reason and foundation for being.

I can understand love as an act - a loving act, which might also be called charity (not the ordinary meaning of that word). The feeling part escapes me totally. For you they seem to be combined. I have some understanding of right action, but it doesn't come from a feeling of love. I have a strong sense of justice and fairness, something only humans seem to consider.

Originally Posted by H3rmit

It's the unrestricted love of people I am asking about.

I hope you didn't think I disrespected this thread earlier and your question when I made my "I love animals" statement...I am having a terrible day in terms of people misunderstanding me , so I worry you might have.

What you speak of in your quote I can't relate to, honestly. And I don't know what makes people love other people this way when I know I can't. I know I am a Highly Sensitive Person though, so I am very easily affected in general; people "do" too many things for me to have unrestricted love for them.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by sorta_fairytale

I hope you didn't think I disrespected this thread earlier and your question when I made my "I love animals" statement...I am having a terrible day in terms of people misunderstanding me , so I worry you might have.

No worries. I was just emphasizing the question again so the thread doesn't become a pile-on of misanthropes like me. Even so, it's good to know I'm not the only person who feels this way. I don't mean to be harsh, was just trying to underscore the main idea, since it wasn't that clear in the original post, even to myself.

[Travelinglady]

The Greeks had many different words for love. For example, eros was physical love. Agape is the word they had for the all-encompassing, caring love for other people. I think we would have done well to have kept such words in our current languages such as English.

I am intrigued by the point someone made about loving snakes, in particular, because they have never harmed him. Do I love snakes? I can't say that I do, although I have never given them a chance. I was taught to fear them, although many of them can never harm humans, because they have no venom. I'm thinking of garter snakes and black snakes especially because they were on the farm I grew up on. My dad even kept a black snake around the barn to get rid of rats.

Yet, who of us here could say we have never been hurt by people? I dare say some of us are even here because we have been abused. Such abuse has affected us in distressing ways, and we are struggling with the devastation. Of course, even if we haven't been a victim of abuse, then we have likely been hurt in other ways, such as by a person who uses us or who has broken our hearts. Indeed, I think to be human is to feel such pain. Life is never going to be totally without injury.

I am a person. (Surprise! ) And I am made out of the same materials as any other person. I can love, fear, laugh, cry, get angry, and yes, even hate. Yet, with the help of my God, I choose not to hate. I feel that bond with other humans, that oneness, if you will. Here at PC I laugh with them, cry with them, share my thoughts with them, and care about them.

Indeed, I find people to be marvelous, intriguing--and I think, special creations.

Feel free to gag. That's a human response, too. I know I haven't succeeded in expressing what I want to say in exact terms, but at least I tried.

And I think most people are trying to live life the best they can. But we all sometimes fail. Thus, we do hurt others. And if we were seriously emotionally hurt, then we might tend to hurt others even more. As the saying goes, "hurt people hurt people." But if I can help just one person to feel less hurt, then I believe my life has been worthwhile.

Where's that " I people" bumper sticker?!

[allimsaying]

I see what you mean about the varying degrees of acceptance. To me, it seems that even a begrudging acceptance is a crack in the doorway to full and freely given acceptance, in time. I think its worth mentioning that not everything truly is acceptable. When I say love, I dont mean romantic love. How could I love a murderer, find murder acceptable, or condone or encourage it? I couldnt. When I say love, Im talking about the healing kind of love. The kind of love that treats a wound, physical, or emotional. It starts with acceptance of what is real and from there grows into the action of being loving, taking a moment to understand something, give appreciation and value to it. While I cant love murder, I can be considerate of what factors contributed to the murderers state of mind. Perhaps he/she was abused, bullied, neglected, mistreated. Its a human condition to respond with anger and feelings of vengeance if someone has been treated unkindly and without consideration. It is understandable that the person may respond negatively, harmfully. Its a forgiving kind of love, not a condoning kind.

To feel, to think, these are interchangeable to me. One leads me to the other, the other back again, to the first. They are intertwined and inseparable. Ive learned in business meetings, its best to use "I think.", while in matters of spirit or heart, using "I feel." is more appropriate.

I have to give mention that my love of spirit and God is what guides me in all decisions I make. For me, God is none other than the loving spirit of living kindness as seen in animals, people, and some of the things people create. Beauty can be found beneath the surface of many things and with an appreciation of beauty, comes an appreciation of love. Nature itself is not always kind, nor is it always beautiful, but, one thing about it, its always real. Thats how I can love even the unlovable.

Hope this makes sense.

Originally Posted by H3rmit

Well, there's acceptance as tolerance or a somewhat grudging acceptance, and there's a wider and warmer acceptance that I have for my husband.


I can understand love as an act - a loving act, which might also be called charity (not the ordinary meaning of that word). The feeling part escapes me totally. For you they seem to be combined. I have some understanding of right action, but it doesn't come from a feeling of love. I have a strong sense of justice and fairness, something only humans seem to consider.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

I am intrigued by the point someone made about loving snakes, in particular, because they have never harmed him.
...
Indeed, I find people to be marvelous, intriguing--and I think, special creations.

I find all natural things to be marvelous, intriguing, and special. Now humans, well, I begrudgingly accept they are part of nature. Logically I have to, since I am an atheist.

Thank you for the human-explaining part of your post. I will have to think more on it. I will be rereading this, because I never understood humans or wanted to be one.

Originally Posted by allimsaying

Its a forgiving kind of love, not a condoning kind.

Very interesting point.

Originally Posted by allimsaying

I have to give mention that my love of spirit and God is what guides me in all decisions I make. For me, God is none other than the loving spirit of living kindness as seen in animals, people, and some of the things people create.

If we must have a god, this seems like a good sort to have. I will also have to think about the rest of your post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[allimsaying]

No matter what you think of what's been said, I want you to know Im grateful that you brought this discussion, Im grateful for the replies, and Im grateful to PC for giving us a place to meet and share thoughts. I appreciate your open minded spirit and love these kinds of public conversations. Its one of the main reasons I joined a forum to begin with and Im just incredibly thankful for you.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

The Greeks had many different words for love. For example, eros was physical love. Agape is the word they had for the all-encompassing, caring love for other people. I think we would have done well to have kept such words in our current languages such as English.

I am intrigued by the point someone made about loving snakes, in particular, because they have never harmed him. Do I love snakes? I can't say that I do, although I have never given them a chance. I was taught to fear them, although many of them can never harm humans, because they have no venom. I'm thinking of garter snakes and black snakes especially because they were on the farm I grew up on. My dad even kept a black snake around the barn to get rid of rats.

Yet, who of us here could say we have never been hurt by people? I dare say some of us are even here because we have been abused. Such abuse has affected us in distressing ways, and we are struggling with the devastation. Of course, even if we haven't been a victim of abuse, then we have likely been hurt in other ways, such as by a person who uses us or who has broken our hearts. Indeed, I think to be human is to feel such pain. Life is never going to be totally without injury.

I am a person. (Surprise! ) And I am made out of the same materials as any other person. I can love, fear, laugh, cry, get angry, and yes, even hate. Yet, with the help of my God, I choose not to hate. I feel that bond with other humans, that oneness, if you will. Here at PC I laugh with them, cry with them, share my thoughts with them, and care about them.

Indeed, I find people to be marvelous, intriguing--and I think, special creations.

Feel free to gag. That's a human response, too. I know I haven't succeeded in expressing what I want to say in exact terms, but at least I tried.

And I think most people are trying to live life the best they can. But we all sometimes fail. Thus, we do hurt others. And if we were seriously emotionally hurt, then we might tend to hurt others even more. As the saying goes, "hurt people hurt people." But if I can help just one person to feel less hurt, then I believe my life has been worthwhile.

Where's that " I people" bumper sticker?!

Agreed about Greek vocabulary.

It's not just that no animal has harmed me. The odd one has had intentions. That was kind of a rhetorical flourish - many people fear snakes and spiders for no real reason.

That's great if your god helps you not to hate. Wish it was that way for every religious person. Of course it cannot be so.

The thing you mention that I am really interested in is this idea that people are special. How so?

All I can see is we seem to be the only one that can have ideas of good and evil and choose between them - and we very often choose evil. Does not make me like, trust, or admire humans.

[healingme4me]

When I first saw this thread title, I was expecting 'sarcastic' humor, but I do like the line about I heart Celtics Fans. Or should it really say, I heart the Boston Celtics organization as a whole, because I may heart my Beantown teams, but I am not certain I can personally heart every single fan that is out there. Although, I can heart their choice in teams

[spondiferous]

Pretty much all of the world's known spiritual paths (or religions) teach that the most important part of spirituality is learning to love ourselves, and then love others. They warn against the dangers and the emptiness of improving one's own 'spiritual' or life condition in relation to themself only. They also mention that learning to love others is some of the most difficult work there is, due to all the filters that exist in us for various reasons.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by spondiferous

Pretty much all of the world's known spiritual paths (or religions) teach that the most important part of spirituality is learning to love ourselves, and then love others. They warn against the dangers and the emptiness of improving one's own 'spiritual' or life condition in relation to themself only. They also mention that learning to love others is some of the most difficult work there is, due to all the filters that exist in us for various reasons.

Spirituality. Another thing beyond my fathoming. Yes, I like some things in buddhism - practical things.