Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristics of Storge LoveStorge Love in Everyday Life: Examples and ScenariosThe Importance of Storge Love in Human RelationshipsStorge Love vs. Other Types of LovePsychological Perspectives on Storge LoveHow to Nurture Storge LoveThe Enduring Relevance of Storge Love
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Storge Love
Storge Love in Everyday Life: Examples and Scenarios
The Importance of Storge Love in Human Relationships
Storge Love vs. Other Types of Love
Psychological Perspectives on Storge Love
How to Nurture Storge Love
The Enduring Relevance of Storge Love
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There are six types of love, according to the Love Attitudes Scale.Storge (pronounced “stor-jay”), which translates to “affection” in ancient Greek, is the warm, cozy, reliable, and comfy love we feel for ourfamilymembers, like our parents, children, siblings, grandparents.
Storge love can even apply to our extended family members or close friends—essentially anyone whom we feel a strong sense of familiarity and affection toward, saysClaudia de Llano, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of “The Seven Destinies of Love.”
“Storge love is the most natural form of love. It refers to a sense of belonging, familiarity, and community,” saysTatiana Rivera Cruz, MSW, LCSW, a therapist at ADHDAdvisor.
If you’re curious about Storge love, we’ve got you. In this article, we explore the characteristics, importance, and psychological perspectives of Storge love, as well as some strategies to help you nurture it in your relationships.
At a GlanceStorge love is the natural affection we have for our friends and family members. It feels warm and cozy, like a soft sweater or a childhood blanket.This type of love is built on comfort, familiarity, acceptance, trust, loyalty, and support. It’s the people who show up for us and have our backs, no matter what.Experiencing Storge love in childhood lays the foundation for healthy relationships in adulthood. We can learn how to nurture this love in our lives to help deepen our connections.
At a Glance
Storge love is the natural affection we have for our friends and family members. It feels warm and cozy, like a soft sweater or a childhood blanket.This type of love is built on comfort, familiarity, acceptance, trust, loyalty, and support. It’s the people who show up for us and have our backs, no matter what.Experiencing Storge love in childhood lays the foundation for healthy relationships in adulthood. We can learn how to nurture this love in our lives to help deepen our connections.
Storge love is the natural affection we have for our friends and family members. It feels warm and cozy, like a soft sweater or a childhood blanket.
This type of love is built on comfort, familiarity, acceptance, trust, loyalty, and support. It’s the people who show up for us and have our backs, no matter what.
Experiencing Storge love in childhood lays the foundation for healthy relationships in adulthood. We can learn how to nurture this love in our lives to help deepen our connections.
These are the characteristics of Storge love:
Storge love is the most natural form of love. It refers to a sense of belonging, familiarity, and community.—TATIANA RIVERA CRUZ, MSW, LCSW
Storge love is the most natural form of love. It refers to a sense of belonging, familiarity, and community.
—TATIANA RIVERA CRUZ, MSW, LCSW
These are some examples of Storge love looks like in everyday life:
How to Deal With Difficult Family Members
Storge love is important for several reasons:
Healthy Relationships
Emotional Well-being
Belonging
Storge love gives us a deep sense of community and belonging, where we feel seen, valued, understood, and accepted. Knowing we have a safe haven to return to gives us the confidence to go out and explore the world.
Security
Life can be full of ups and downs. Storge love gives us a sense of security and stability, a constant source of support we can rely on during tough times.
Positive Habits
Families tend to encourage strongmorals, good citizenship, and healthy habits.Storge love encourages us to internalize these positive influences, shaping who we are and the choices we make.
Generational Bonds
Storge love is essential for human development, mental health, and well-being.—TATIANA RIVERA CRUZ, MSW, LCSW
Storge love is essential for human development, mental health, and well-being.
This is how Storge love compares to other types of love:
5 Psychological Theories of Love
These are some of the psychological aspects that influence the concept of storge love:
Signs and Causes of Attachment Issues
These are some strategies that can help you nurture Storge love in your relationships:
What Are the Five Love Languages?
Storge love is a treasure trove of shared memories, cherished moments, and lifelong bonds. It is the gentle guidance of our parents, the playful banter between siblings, the laughter during family gatherings, the comfort of knowing we have a support system through life’s ups and downs, and the wisdom passed down through generations. Nurturing this love enriches our lives, making us happier and healthier.
What Is Unconditional Love?
7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neto F, Wilks DC.Compassionate love for a romantic partner across the adult life span.Eur J Psychol. 2017 Nov 30;13(4):606-617. doi:10.5964/ejop.v13i4.1204Zeng X, Pan Y, Zhou H, Yu S, Liu X.Exploring different patterns of love attitudes among Chinese college students.PLoS One. 2016 Nov 16;11(11):e0166410. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166410Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019 Dec;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yXia M, Fosco GM, Lippold MA, Feinberg ME.A developmental perspective on young adult romantic relationships: Examining family and individual factors in adolescence.J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jul;47(7):1499-1516. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0815-8Yang C, Gao H, Li Y, Wang E, Wang N, Wang Q.Analyzing the role of family support, coping strategies and social support in improving the mental health of students: Evidence from post COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 23;13:1064898. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064898Rezaei-Dehaghani A, Paki S, Keshvari M.The relationship between family functioning and self-esteem in female high school students of Isfahan, Iran.Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2015 May-Jun;20(3):371-7Ho YL, Mahirah D, Ho CZ, Thumboo J.The role of the family in health promotion: a scoping review of models and mechanisms.Health Promot Int. 2022 Dec 1;37(6):daac119. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac119
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neto F, Wilks DC.Compassionate love for a romantic partner across the adult life span.Eur J Psychol. 2017 Nov 30;13(4):606-617. doi:10.5964/ejop.v13i4.1204Zeng X, Pan Y, Zhou H, Yu S, Liu X.Exploring different patterns of love attitudes among Chinese college students.PLoS One. 2016 Nov 16;11(11):e0166410. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166410Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019 Dec;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yXia M, Fosco GM, Lippold MA, Feinberg ME.A developmental perspective on young adult romantic relationships: Examining family and individual factors in adolescence.J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jul;47(7):1499-1516. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0815-8Yang C, Gao H, Li Y, Wang E, Wang N, Wang Q.Analyzing the role of family support, coping strategies and social support in improving the mental health of students: Evidence from post COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 23;13:1064898. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064898Rezaei-Dehaghani A, Paki S, Keshvari M.The relationship between family functioning and self-esteem in female high school students of Isfahan, Iran.Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2015 May-Jun;20(3):371-7Ho YL, Mahirah D, Ho CZ, Thumboo J.The role of the family in health promotion: a scoping review of models and mechanisms.Health Promot Int. 2022 Dec 1;37(6):daac119. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac119
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Neto F, Wilks DC.Compassionate love for a romantic partner across the adult life span.Eur J Psychol. 2017 Nov 30;13(4):606-617. doi:10.5964/ejop.v13i4.1204Zeng X, Pan Y, Zhou H, Yu S, Liu X.Exploring different patterns of love attitudes among Chinese college students.PLoS One. 2016 Nov 16;11(11):e0166410. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166410Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019 Dec;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yXia M, Fosco GM, Lippold MA, Feinberg ME.A developmental perspective on young adult romantic relationships: Examining family and individual factors in adolescence.J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jul;47(7):1499-1516. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0815-8Yang C, Gao H, Li Y, Wang E, Wang N, Wang Q.Analyzing the role of family support, coping strategies and social support in improving the mental health of students: Evidence from post COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 23;13:1064898. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064898Rezaei-Dehaghani A, Paki S, Keshvari M.The relationship between family functioning and self-esteem in female high school students of Isfahan, Iran.Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2015 May-Jun;20(3):371-7Ho YL, Mahirah D, Ho CZ, Thumboo J.The role of the family in health promotion: a scoping review of models and mechanisms.Health Promot Int. 2022 Dec 1;37(6):daac119. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac119
Neto F, Wilks DC.Compassionate love for a romantic partner across the adult life span.Eur J Psychol. 2017 Nov 30;13(4):606-617. doi:10.5964/ejop.v13i4.1204
Zeng X, Pan Y, Zhou H, Yu S, Liu X.Exploring different patterns of love attitudes among Chinese college students.PLoS One. 2016 Nov 16;11(11):e0166410. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166410
Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019 Dec;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-y
Xia M, Fosco GM, Lippold MA, Feinberg ME.A developmental perspective on young adult romantic relationships: Examining family and individual factors in adolescence.J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jul;47(7):1499-1516. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0815-8
Yang C, Gao H, Li Y, Wang E, Wang N, Wang Q.Analyzing the role of family support, coping strategies and social support in improving the mental health of students: Evidence from post COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 23;13:1064898. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064898
Rezaei-Dehaghani A, Paki S, Keshvari M.The relationship between family functioning and self-esteem in female high school students of Isfahan, Iran.Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2015 May-Jun;20(3):371-7
Ho YL, Mahirah D, Ho CZ, Thumboo J.The role of the family in health promotion: a scoping review of models and mechanisms.Health Promot Int. 2022 Dec 1;37(6):daac119. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac119
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