Do we really 'love' our parents?

27 Comments

I've always struggled with the notion of what 'love' actually is, and recently this thought came into my head.

For the most part, children are told that their parents 'love' them, to which they blindly reply 'I love you too', but surely some kids don't actually understand what they're saying.
(I still don't fully understand what it means to 'love' someone - in either a platonic or a romantic way, now!)

So, do we really grow up 'loving' our parents? (or is saying 'I love you' something that is just expected of us?)

Yes, we do just naturally 'love' our parents 51
No, we do not just naturally 'love' our parents 37
I don't know 14
I have another, (relevant) point to make 10
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Comments ( 27 )
  • Dot123
    11 years ago | pl

    It's just Stockholm syndrome.

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  • NotFloydzie
    11 years ago

    Love means different things to many different people. And it's also a word that has a large variety of meanings whether you love someone romantically, as a friend, as a puppy, as your favorite color. Ask yourself the questions you're asking us and see your response from it.

    I can't speak for everyone, but I grew up loving my parents. And I still love them.

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  • Shackleford96
    11 years ago

    Quite simply put, yes.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    We want to murder our fathers and sleep with our mothers.

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    • anti-hero
      11 years ago

      If you are gay or lesbian, is it the other way around?

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        There are no gay or lesbian people....shhhh..don't tell anyone.

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        • anti-hero
          11 years ago

          What are you an Imam?

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          • [Old Memory]
            11 years ago

            An Arab? No....just in the know.

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            • anti-hero
              11 years ago

              I don't know that you have to be Arab to be an Imam, but it probably helps.

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  • NeuroNeptunian
    11 years ago

    Love isn't always defined the way we think it is defined but yes, I believe that most children to love their parents for whatever reasons, whether they understand it or not.

    If you ever work for a shelter you'll see kids that have been thrashed by their folks that still love their parents. It's biological, it's natural, and sometimes it makes no sense as love often doesn't.

    And yeah, kids often love their parents and take them for granted but we've all done that to non parental figures.

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    • Ummawkward
      9 years ago

      I may be weird, but I take "I love you" as a very serious thing. I love EVERYONE in this world. I don't know their story so I do not have a right to judge or hate them. When my parents don't say "goodnight" or "I love you back" I'm broken and cry myself to sleep. When I say "I love you" I mean it and know exactly what I am saying. I know when I feel love and when I feel hate. You are not born loving your parents, but it's hard to know when you do and don't hate them.

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  • PalestinianGuy
    11 years ago

    I don't know about love, but I respect my parents.

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  • RapidlyRotatingPanda
    11 years ago

    I don't respect my parents, abut I get on with them about half the time, which is probably more than most do.

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  • Darkoil
    11 years ago

    I don't feel any love for any of my family.

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  • o_0
    11 years ago

    when we are young enough we take it as all formality....
    but as we grow up enough and understand how much they sacrifices for us, how much they cooperated for us , how much they loved us and fought for us gradually our love for them and respect for them increases and we realise how we would be without them and how we are because of them....
    WHAT EVER WE ARE THATS BECAUSE OF THEM....
    and (I) specially love my parents alot for how much they do for me at every step.... its my PAPA ( a prince for me ) and its my MOM whose limits have made me reach at a point where without those restrictions i would be just abnormally failing .... so I LOVE MY PARENTS >>>>>!!! :)

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    • GoraIntoDesiGals
      11 years ago

      Sacrifice? Kids don't ask to be born. They arrive at the whim of the parents so future parents better "sacrifice" if they want kids.
      It makes my blood boil when i hear that word.

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      • DaMan
        9 years ago

        just cuz kids dont ask to be born, that does not mean that their parents don't have to sacrifice shit you idiot. Looool doesnt matter why, a sacrifice is a sacrifice + Parents rarely bitch to kids about the "sacrifices" they made for them so how exactly is ur blood boiling?
        U sound like a mad bro tbh - flaming

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      • o_0
        11 years ago

        ahan.. you didnt deserve to be through them...
        would you grant someone enough money to get educated.. to have all possible luxuries ,to enjoy all necessities. when you your self arent..
        see im from a society where parents dont care what they eat what they were and how is their life going on they only make it sure that their children are getting educated ,cherished ,and are getting every possible luxury , so what say?? seeing a person having fun by your money and the hard work you did fpor it while you yourself arent having .. ISN'T IT A SACRIFICE..??
        well i dont know may be thats not the case for you ...!! i have heard in many societies parents dont pay much attention to there children and are much busy in their own work and own busy life may be thats the reason of your such thoughts..!!

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  • anti-hero
    11 years ago

    I don't have parents and I don't feel love.

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  • kelili
    11 years ago

    I love my dad and mom because there's so funny sometimes.

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  • xXScYtHeXx
    11 years ago

    My mother is batshit insane, yet she keeps a roof over my head, let's me live for free, buys me food, and keeps me pretty safe. I have reason to love my mum, however, my father is another story, I purely hate him with a passion, I'd explain why but itd take a long time.

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    • tarikaybartugu
      10 years ago

      I am actually very curious about your story.

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  • saddenedunicorn
    11 years ago

    I don't love my Mother. When I was a kid, I didn't know what love was and so, I just thought of course I love my parents but as I grew older, I realized I was very wrong. I don't love my Mother; I'm just used to her. I do, however, love my Father. He's always there for me and he's much more supportive and understanding. He and I share a few things in common like music and he has similar views on things that my Mother and I just never had. I respect him and I do love him.

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  • howaminotmyself
    11 years ago

    I do think it's a default response. But that doesn't mean there isn't love. Or that the words mean nothing. My family never says "I love you," but I know it's there. My parents may not be very good at saying it, but they have their own way of showing it.

    There are many ways of expressing and experiencing love. Don't get too caught up in analyzing it or you may miss something.

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  • StreetDreamz
    11 years ago

    my daddy can suck a dick

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  • KeddersPrincess
    11 years ago

    I think some people do and some people don't. But I love my parents.

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