Definitions HQ

Eros (n.) aims ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠at making one out of more than one — but once he has done it with two lovers, he refuses to go further.

Eros (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠eternal and must now assert himself against his equally immortal adversary — but who can foresee with what success?

Eros (n.) binds ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the scattered particles of life into ever larger unities — aiming to complicate life and so to preserve it.

Eros (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the troublemaker of life: it keeps interrupting life's steady descent toward death with fresh tensions.

Eros (n.) coincides, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in Plato, with the libido of psychoanalysis, and Paul's praise of love uses the same wide sense; we do not take great thinkers seriously even while admiring them.

Eros (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the instinct that binds together, building ever greater unities and keeping them whole.

Eros (n.) seeks ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠contact because it aims to merge the ego with the loved object and remove every spatial barrier; destructiveness too once needed close quarters.

Eros (n.) stands ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠much nearer, in psychoanalysis, to the all-embracing love of Plato's Symposium than to genital union.