The Meaning of Love as Lived
The Meaning of Love as Lived
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Issue Date
2022-08-15
Authors
Seyedi Kakhki, Sara
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Abstract
Love is a universal phenomenon that brings people closer together emotionally. However, the literature suggests that men and women may differ in experiencing love and perceiving romantic information. This qualitative study aimed to explore the meaning of love for men from a phenomenological perspective. Twelve participants who identified as men were interviewed regarding their experiences with dating and romantic love. There were several recurring themes across the interviews, with the most important ones being the early experiences of dating; sexual intimacy; early meaning of love, change, and stability of the definition; depth of love; experience of love; inability to verbally describe the feeling of love, tendency to demonstrate love through actions rather than words, and authenticity; and societal expectations and culture. The results of the study suggested that the essence of love is to enter another person's world and be able to relate. Relatability was further divided into past, present, and future categories. This study intended to increase the general understanding of love and its phenomenology, which in turn can aid individuals and professionals in comprehending and resolving issues concerning love.
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Keywords
love , relatability , verbal expression , male experience , phenomenology
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess