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Today’s Agenda
Love as Responsibility
Good Morning!
Happy Friday! The boulder’s at the top, and now we can rest and reflect.
Today we’re wrapping up our week of the self in relationships by talking about love with the German psychoanalyst, Erich Fromm. Burning that off, we’ll do the Presence Check. Wrapping up, we’ll look at a line from Fromm’s The Art of Loving.
Have a seat, Thought Breakfast is served!
Today’s Breakfast
Love Is Not Passive
We often think of love as a feeling, something that happens to us. Fromm challenges this way of thinking. He says love is not something you fall into, but something you practice. That means love is an activity, not just an emotion.
He compares love to an art. Like any art, it requires effort, attention, and discipline. Without practice, love starts to weaken. He suggests that love must be developed intentionally.
We often approach love as something to receive or something to validate us. However, Fromm flips this. He says love is primarily about giving, caring, and taking responsibility.
Love involves responsibility for another person (within the boundaries that we talked about yesterday). It’s not control, but care. It’s about showing up consistently, attentively, and intentionally. Relationships gain meaning through how we show up within them.
Love is not proven through words alone. It is best expressed through action. Love becomes real when it’s lived, not just felt.
Burn Those Thought Calories
The Presence Check
Ask yourself:
How do I actively show up for the people I care about?
Where am I expecting love without practicing it?
What is one small way I can show up more intentionally today?
Book Nook
“Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.”
— Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving
Fromm reframes love from a feeling into an action. Love requires discipline and intention. Real connection comes from giving, not just receiving. Taking responsibility for one another, whether it’s a friendly, familial, or romantic relationship, deepens that relationship.
Munch on that for today. Have a great weekend, and come back tomorrow for another, steaming hot week of Thought Breakfast!
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That’s it for today.
Remember to stay mindful, smell the flowers, and take it easy.
Chef Ricky - Thought Breakfast
