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The Art of Unconditional Love
Let’s talk about love–the most desired yet complicated thing.
It encompasses a range of feelings, from tenderness to passion, extending beyond mere affection to embrace a more profound connection with others. One idea that has recently gained prominence in discussions about love is the concept of “loving someone enough to allow them to be exactly what they choose to be.”
What does this mean exactly, and does it imply that we should not encourage personal growth or support each other in becoming the better version of ourselves?
The idea of allowing someone to be exactly who they choose to be may sound like an endorsement of complacency, a free pass for people to perpetuate harmful behavior. However, this concept is more nuanced than it may appear.
Perhaps we should distinguish between acceptance and enablement. Acceptance means acknowledging someone’s choices and identity without judgment or the imposition of our own expectations. Enablement, on the other hand, involves actively supporting and facilitating someone’s destructive behaviors.
In the context of “loving someone enough to allow them to be exactly what they choose to be,” it’s about embracing the core principle of unconditional love — the notion that we can…