Selfish Love (Part II)

Author’s note: This contemplation is part two. If you have not yet read part one. Check it out here.

In part one, I introduced the idea of antiagape – the love that doesn’t understand.

I do not believe there is anything particularly sinister about antiagape (though by no means is it commendable). It simply lacks the empathy to understand others and cannot act selflessly in the best interest of others. Antiagape’s greatest faults are perhaps self-absorption and a lack of awareness.

Today, we will explore the darker counterpart of antiagape.

This counterpart masquerades as love, but the only commonality it shares with love is in appearance. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing – it intentionally exploits for its own gain.

It is άγάπη του λύκου (agape tou lukou) – the wolf’s love.

The wolf’s love is characterized by its heinous use of others’ shortcomings to boost its own self-worth, all under the guise of helping or being sympathetic.

The wolf’s love helps others in order to prove its own prowess by highlighting the incompetence of those in need.

It listens to those in despair, not to offer support, but to feel superior for not struggling as the one speaking does.

It teaches not to improve its listeners’ understanding, but that it may have a stage from which to boast of its knowledge and ridicule its audience.

The wolf’s love is not antiagape.

Antiagape is ignorant.

Antiagape does not understand.

The wolf’s love is not ignorant.

It is cunning; it understands, and then it preys on the weak to raise itself up.

So, be vigilant.

Beware the wolf masquerading its heinous nature of exploitation as love.