Simply put, unconditional love is love without conditions. It’s love that you freely give. It’s not something you base on what someone does for you in return. You simply care about them and want the best for them. This kind of love, also known as agape or compassionate love, may sound somewhat familiar to you. Maybe it reminds you of how much your parents love you or how much you love your own child. Unconditional love is frequently associated with familial love, but many people also seek this love in romantic partnerships. It makes sense to want someone to accept you for who you are, no matter what. Although most people don’t experience this kind of love in real life, it still may seem like something out of fairy tales and romantic comedies. Love that is unconditional is selfless. Not for yourself, obviously. Although there may be some similarities with other forms of love, it differs in other ways. The brain areas that are stimulated by feelings of unconditional love were examined in a small 2009 study. According to the study’s findings, romantic love and unconditional love both trigger some of the same parts of the brain’s reward system. In other words, the straightforward act of unconditionally loving someone can result in good feelings. Emotional wellbeing can also be affected by receiving love that is unconditional. Children who experience more affection from their parents or other primary caregivers tend to be more resilient as adults, according to research from 2010. They also frequently show fewer signs of mental illness. According to the findings of a 2013 study, children’s overall health and wellbeing are improved when parents love them unconditionally. This suggests that the damaging, frequently enduring effects of childhood abuse or trauma may be mitigated to some extent by parental unconditional love.
