“I may now add that civilization is a process in the service of Eros, whose purpose is to combine single human individuals, and after that families, then races, peoples and nations, into one great unity, the unity of mankind.”
-Freud
Anteros is the brother of eros, born solely to propel eros onward (through sibling rivalry). Anteros is sometimes called the god of slighted love, that which is bitter, angry, greedy.
Do you currently let eros or anteros rule your life? Explain your answer.
© 2026 – SoulSequel
8 responses to “eros and anteros”
Geeze. This is getting heavy.
By Freud’s suggestion or theory, I may have to admit that I am driven by Anteros.
I may be driven by the jealousy that I feel as a middle child for witnessing the attention given elsewhere that I think should have been heaped on me.
Ummmm…all that has driven me to prove I am worthy may, and probably does, come down to that.
You are full of ass kicking ideas this morning. Not sure if I should be grateful for this. Although I may owe you $300 for what feels like I just had a light bulb moment after a therapy session.
@spitfire3dc if that is your answer, do you plan on integrating it with an as yet to be developed side to you? The story , “Eros and Psyche” (eros is a god and psyche is human but is to become a god) points out that eros would only visit psyche at Night (the god Eros appears only as an invisible lover) on the condition that she never see him (in light). people casting into the shadow their darker impulses is demonstrated by the story. It also illustrates how our full awareness can be dimmed. When eros and psyche are married it demonstrates our ability to integrate our love magic with our “psychological” waking consciousness. A child is born of this marriage. The child is Pleasure.
If you have your own personal eros. What qualities do you attach to this love god? How could you use the ideals of the healthiest love god to brighten your world?
@Scarlett it would seem that my life has integrated a personal Eros and as such has allowed me to have a pleasurable life that is the result of that union.
I am not so sure that a singular person may not have the dual qualities described that allows for the self creation of the by product. We may not need to be either/or.
One side may have been a circumstantial response, while the other may be a recognition of a choice to be more consciously expressive of the behaviours desired. While we are driven by our subconscious; I think free will allows us to choose preferred behaviours, when we come conscious of what lies at the roots of our inherencies.
Your post also had me thinking about how this applies to people I love and gave me a greater understanding of what could be driving behaviours I have been confused by and the influence I may have had on those behaviours. That has the potential to brighten my world.
Both Eros and Aneros are creatures of passion — and therefore just a servicing of of our own feelings, based on feelings: sort of like an eternal hamster-wheel.
So choose not to let either rule my life. There are ways of higher living that allow for passion existing and exercising within them, but are not ruled by passion . . . or susceptible to the “crimes thereof”.
@griz do you feel like you are able to see beyond the invisible to see what unites us all? if yes, do you feel this ability is demonstrated in your thoughts on feminism, heteronormative ideas, and racism?
@Scarlett
I cannot deny that I have “experience”; and that could translate into bias.
Hopefully friends take me as offered, and love me anyways!
But yes, I do feel that I sometimes glimpse the underlying threads of unity that connect us all.
And I don’t think that various “social movements of “victimhood” do.
They tend to only see themselves and want to protect their “agendas” — for this is lower human nature.
There is a “Truth” that underlies all of our subjective-ness and games thereof.
Am I a “master” of it? By no means.
But do I see “more than most”?
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.
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I . . . cannot say
I simply offer what I see. Hopefully not what I “feel”; but what I see.
Because we already have and over-dose of people offering up “what they feel”.
And it gets us nowhere.
I know the strain of a bad relationship with my brother. Yet at day’s end blood is thicker than water
Since “bitter”, “angry”, and “greedy” are nowhere near the relationship I have with Immortal Pirate, then it must be Eros that rules a relationship that runs as smoothly as a well oiled machine, and is as comfortable as an old worn pair of your favorite blue jeans.