Ninety Six Words for Love
The first difficulty we meet in discussing anything concerning our feelings is that we have no adequate vocabulary to use. Where there is no terminology, there is no consciousness. A poverty-stricken vocabulary is an immediate admission that the subject is inferior or depreciated in that society.
Sanskrit has ninety-six words for love; ancient Persian has eighty, Greek three, and English only one. This is indicative of the poverty of awareness or emphasis that we give to that tremendously important realm of feeling. Eskimos have thirty words for snow, because it is a life-and death matter to them to have exact information about the element they live with so intimately. If we had a vocabulary of thirty words for love ... we would immediately be richer and more intelligent in this human element so close to our heart. An Eskimo probably would die of clumsiness if he had only one word for snow; we are close to dying of loneliness because we have only one word for love. Of all the Western languages, English may be the most lacking when it comes to feeling.
Imagine what richness would be expressed if one had a specific vocabulary for the love of one's father, another word for the love of one's mother, yet another for one's camel (the Persians have this luxury), still another for another's spouse, and another exclusively for the sunset! Our world would expand and gain clarity immeasurably if we had such tools.
It is always the inferior function, whether in an individual or a culture, that suffers this poverty. One's greatest treasures are won by the superior function but always at the cost of the inferior function. One's greatest triumphs are always accompanied by one's greatest weaknesses. Because thinking is our superior function in the English-speaking world, it follows automatically that feeling is our inferior function. These two faculties tend to exist at the expense of each other. If one is strong in feeling, one is likely to be inferior in thinking -- and vice versa. Our superior function has given us science and the higher standard of living -- but at the cost of impoverishing the feeling function.
This is vividly demonstrated by our meager vocabulary of feeling words. If we had the expanded and exact vocabulary for feeling that we have for science and technology, we would be well on our way to warmth of relatedness and generosity of feeling.
Robert Johnson, in The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden. ​In 1945, he went to Ojai, California, as a student of Jiddu Krishnamurti, an Indian spiritual teacher. In 1947 he began his own therapy with Fritz Künkel. He later studied at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zürich, Switzerland, where Emma Jung, the wife of Carl, was his principal analyst. He completed his analytical training with Künkel and Tony Sussman. He established an analytical practice in Los Angeles in the early 1950s with Helen Luke. In the early 1960s he closed his practice and became a member of St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, in Michigan, a Benedictine monastery of the Episcopal Church.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that superiority in one function only comes at the expense of the other? Can you share a personal experience where you gained insights by seeing the impoverishment of either function in your life? How might we balance the thinking and feeling functions?
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46 Past Reflections
On Oct 27, 2024 David Martin wrote :
Languages evolve in the human way,
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On Feb 14, 2024 angel wrote :
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On Jan 19, 2024 Karen Charbonneau Zukas wrote :
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On Feb 13, 2022 Augustus Chinlund wrote :
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On Sep 18, 2014 Sally Keil wrote :
I see the notion of “superior” and “inferior” functions in a way that has been very useful for me. For quite a while, I have been using Jung’s typology, with its four functions covering the four vital aspects of a fully human life, as a “practice” in expanding my awareness. We all have all four psychological functions of thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition to cover the vital aspects of a fully human life. That we have them in a certain order of “accessibility,” and that when using one perceiving function or processing function its opposite must be quiescent and not interfere, is a brilliant example of the economy of the human psyche essential for sanity. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.
3 replies: Syd, Sally, Leslie | Post Your Reply
On Sep 18, 2014 hari wrote :
Love grows with expenditure. As we grow, the spectrum of our love becomes brighter, broader. When it reaches an intensity, to experience divine love. This greater love contains all lesser loves.
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On Sep 17, 2014 Amy wrote :
Since God IS Love (and He is Superior to ALL in intellect) . . . ALL things are possible.
No matter our gifts, if we haven't love tucked in somewhere, we are sunk.
i love you!
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On Sep 16, 2014 Raghava wrote :
Language has always been a limitation in expressing one's true "intent"... That is why perhaps greatest of the Gurus in Indian scriptures - Sri Dakshina Murthy taught in silence...even contemporary Gurus like Ramana Maharshi taught more in silence rather in words. One needs to live practically in life and go beyond words ... Intents, actions and perhaps words when conveyed with this sincere intent will convey what needs to be conveyed... Learning 96 different words for the same intent might be useful but picking the right one out of 96 is still an intent driven by altruism - which is what perhaps love is all about...
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On Sep 16, 2014 Celeste wrote :
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On Sep 16, 2014 Rebecca McCarty wrote :
William Blake wrote these lines, which have proven of great value to me.
"Never seek to tell thy love
~William Blake
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On Sep 16, 2014 Sandra wrote :
A number of people expressed it well, in numerous ways!!! We have many words and many means of expressing love. First question for me was whether there's more love being expressed, felt, evidenced in those cultures with so many words (boxes someone said). Labels, tags I call them. Yes we need language to communicate, but more we need intent, motive, desire to love, be loving, and receive love. With that, I suspect the Universe, God, whatever term we want to use, will help us express it. (Here again, so many words for the Origin, Creator of all things and some of us take issue with one or the other!!!) In my own experience, study am learning the more I realize the love is already within me, the more I'll see it, express it, experience it.
2 replies: Syd, Sandra | Post Your Reply
On Sep 16, 2014 Syd wrote :
10 replies: Dina, Gail, Syd, Syd, Dina, Sandra, Syd, Sandra, Syd, Sandra | Post Your Reply
On Sep 16, 2014 Dina Pennington wrote :
Grok (from Stranger in a strange land)
1 reply: Sally | Post Your Reply
On Sep 16, 2014 Bonnie wrote :
I was curious about this article, because it seems to me that English does have more than one word for love - devotion, loving-kindness, affection, appreciation, fondness, adoration.... is it just me? But then I began to wonder, if Love is the substance and energy of the Ground of All Possible Being, i.e. the universe, then maybe everything has the capacity to be a synonym for love depending on our perspective and intention. Perhaps today, when I speak with my husband, my students, the clerks at the grocery story, my dogs.. I'll use my fancy words, but I'll know I'm really saying love, love, love, love, and love.
1 reply: Sandra | Post Your Reply
On Sep 16, 2014 Peggy wrote :
A powerful commentary. As a musician and music therapist who also values transpersonal states of awareness, I want to add that there are forms of consciousness that are "ineffable" and have no terminology, and as a result are expressed through music, dance, and art for just that reason - they are beyond words. Maybe in the future have the terminology, but the consciousness surely exists without the terminology in this case!
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On Sep 16, 2014 Dave wrote :
Wow, what a negative article to start off my day! I did not adore or cherish the criticism of the English language, and by extension, those who speak it. I also don't accept the dualistic views on feeling and thinking. I cannot buy the notion that if one is superior at thinking they will tend to be less superior at feeling. I also believe that you do not have to be fat and dumb to be happy. In your next article, please bring back that loving feeling, oh, that loving feeling.
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On Sep 16, 2014 Aaron wrote :
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On Sep 16, 2014 Maya wrote :
We have many names for God, however it did not enlighten most of society to realize God within... Having many words for love does not induce that emotion in generous levels within us. Emotional healing of our unconscious mind wounds created from the past needs to be healed in order for us to receive unconditional love for self and give it to others. We are all a work in progress at this, I believe.
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On Sep 16, 2014 Sumanta wrote :
Nicely explained,
if we have more words for love it would create any difference i dont think so, it only showed how rich the language is? its only depending on the person who is realising the value of love for whom he has in his heart.
The post is awesome................ keep writing
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On Sep 15, 2014 Jyoti wrote :
Yes, a richer vocabulary for love is desirable and would enrich our world. Everyone says Sanskrit has these words, but why do not share some of these so we can start using them? I am ready. I do not believe that thinking and feeling exist at the expense of each other, for in practice, it is impossible to find a perfectly (ir)rational thinker !
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On Sep 14, 2014 david doane wrote :
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On Sep 11, 2014 Abhishek Thakore wrote :
At one level. having multiple words surely allows for greater nuance and precision....but then again, words are merely pointers - in fact they can end up becoming cages, keeping us from the seamless experience of an emotion....
The many words for snow may help the eskimos but maybe a child playing in the snow for the first time ever (without having even a single word for it) experiences snow in a much rawer and direct way than a 30-words-for-snow eskimo ever can....
In fact the moment I know I am going to meet an 'eskimo' I already have made so many assumptions about the person.....the word, in that case actually is a hurdle for me meeting the real person hiding behind the word....
The deepest of our experiences are beyond words - and we are united in our inability to ever articulate or share them and in reveling in their ineffable-ness
2 replies: Nilam, Jyoti | Post Your Reply
On Sep 11, 2014 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
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On Sep 11, 2014 Kristin Pedemonti wrote :
Here's to creating new words for love. I am one who feels deeply and yet much of what I say are "thinking" statements. I tend to rationalize my feelings with thinking. Thank you for pointing out a lack in the English language, perhaps we will be inspired to create new words to describe the countless ways to love. Hugs from my heart to yours!