last time we were talking about platonic
love the idea that the highest and
purest form of love doesn’t involve
sexual contact a fascinating and deeply
unmodern idea what’s even more
interesting is how the ideas changed
throughout history after flourishing in
ancient Greece the concept of platonic
love was then powerfully revived through
the tradition of courtly love and
chivalry in Provence in the 11th century
the courts of Provence gave rise to
what’s now known as the age of the
troubadours or the Knights he made a
call of love these troubadour Knights
would identify a woman and then fall
madly and deeply in love with her
however one thing they had no intention
of doing was to sleep with her they
merely wanted to be devoted to her the
way one can when one isn’t yet having
sex with someone it’s the face that we
tend to rush over in modern life it’s
the few days between a date that’s gone
well and the first time in bed or the
feeling you get when you regularly see
someone at the office or in the library
that you know you like the look of and
yet you know it won’t go any further the
troubadours influenced by Plato made a
whole cult based on this moment they saw
it as the best phase of love and I think
I agree it’s when you’re fascinated by
somebody’s face or gestures or you could
write a whole poem just about their eyes
the troubadours weren’t only military
people they also were poets they would
write reams of poetry in praise of their
ladies a lot of the poetry is repetitive
and formulaic but some of it is deeply
tender and moving what’s interesting is
that the troubadours took love very
seriously only they didn’t see it linked
to sex settling down or marriage
romantic love was something you had with
someone that you never saw your self
doing household drawers with and that
may be the secret of its intensity this
kind of love was spared too much contact
with daily life a troubadour poet could
imagine how lovely his beloved was
without ever having to dispute with them
where to hang a tapestry or
getting frustrated over bedtime for the
kids their love could remain pristine
the troubadours show us a time of
history where loved was not tied to the
notion of moving in together sharing
utility bills and trying to go on a
camping holiday with your partner’s
friends maybe the troubadours influenced
by Plato knew something with forgotten
symposium written by the philosopher
Plato in ancient Greece in 385 BC huge
open-air theaters Aeschylus Euripides
and Sophocles were all household names
but what was tragedy all about what was the point
love the idea that the highest and
purest form of love doesn’t involve
sexual contact a fascinating and deeply
unmodern idea what’s even more
interesting is how the ideas changed
throughout history after flourishing in
ancient Greece the concept of platonic
love was then powerfully revived through
the tradition of courtly love and
chivalry in Provence in the 11th century
the courts of Provence gave rise to
what’s now known as the age of the
troubadours or the Knights he made a
call of love these troubadour Knights
would identify a woman and then fall
madly and deeply in love with her
however one thing they had no intention
of doing was to sleep with her they
merely wanted to be devoted to her the
way one can when one isn’t yet having
sex with someone it’s the face that we
tend to rush over in modern life it’s
the few days between a date that’s gone
well and the first time in bed or the
feeling you get when you regularly see
someone at the office or in the library
that you know you like the look of and
yet you know it won’t go any further the
troubadours influenced by Plato made a
whole cult based on this moment they saw
it as the best phase of love and I think
I agree it’s when you’re fascinated by
somebody’s face or gestures or you could
write a whole poem just about their eyes
the troubadours weren’t only military
people they also were poets they would
write reams of poetry in praise of their
ladies a lot of the poetry is repetitive
and formulaic but some of it is deeply
tender and moving what’s interesting is
that the troubadours took love very
seriously only they didn’t see it linked
to sex settling down or marriage
romantic love was something you had with
someone that you never saw your self
doing household drawers with and that
may be the secret of its intensity this
kind of love was spared too much contact
with daily life a troubadour poet could
imagine how lovely his beloved was
without ever having to dispute with them
where to hang a tapestry or
getting frustrated over bedtime for the
kids their love could remain pristine
the troubadours show us a time of
history where loved was not tied to the
notion of moving in together sharing
utility bills and trying to go on a
camping holiday with your partner’s
friends maybe the troubadours influenced
by Plato knew something with forgotten
symposium written by the philosopher
Plato in ancient Greece in 385 BC huge
open-air theaters Aeschylus Euripides
and Sophocles were all household names
but what was tragedy all about what was the point
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