AMATORICS
Eros
A mental pattern that is responsible for the perception and expression of sympathy in relationships with other people, as well as for the feeling of attachment. Eros determines the nature of the manifestation of sympathy, its ability to feel a stable connection with another person, independently initiate sympathy and maintain attachment.
In the case of the first leading function, it creates an aesthetic personality type. Aesthetics and Eros are linked through their shared focus on the perception and experience of beauty, pleasure, and deep emotional states. Aesthetics, studies the nature of beauty, art and perception, and Eros, as a psychic energy, is not only sexual attraction, but also the desire for unity, harmony and fullness of being.
In the case of the first leading function, it creates an aesthetic personality type. Aesthetics and Eros are linked through their shared focus on the perception and experience of beauty, pleasure, and deep emotional states. Aesthetics, studies the nature of beauty, art and perception, and Eros, as a psychic energy, is not only sexual attraction, but also the desire for unity, harmony and fullness of being.
The concept of Eros has passed a long way of socio-cultural understanding, starting with ancient philosophy. In Plato, especially in the dialogue "Feast", Eros appears not just as a sensual attraction, but as a powerful cosmic and spiritual force that moves towards the beautiful and the good. This is the soul's striving for knowledge and contemplation of eternal ideas, climbing the "ladder of love" from bodily beauty to the beauty of the soul, knowledge, and, finally, to the idea of Beauty itself. Plato's Eros is also a creative force, a "birth in beauty", a striving for immortality through creation, both physical and spiritual. He acts as a daimon, an intermediary between the world of gods and the world of men, a force that connects the disparate and elevates a person.
Moving from philosophy to twentieth-century psychology, Carl Jung reinterpreted Eros as one of the fundamental principles of the psyche, along with Logos. If Logos for Jung is the principle of reason, discrimination, and objectivity, then Eros is the principle of connectedness, relationships, feeling, and integration. Eros is responsible for establishing and maintaining connections – not only with other people, but also with various aspects of your own soul, contributing to its integrity. It is associated with subjective experience, empathy, intuitive understanding and integration of opposites within the individual, playing a key role in the process of individuation and interaction with the Anima and Animus archetypes.
Amatorics, as a modern typology, synthesizes these deep understandings of Eros. It recognizes it as a fundamental need for sympathy, attachment, and attraction, but places it in the specific structure of the psychotype as one of four key patterns and functions, along with Filia, Agape, and Storge. In Amatorics, Eros is not an abstract principle, but a measurable aspect of the individual, whose position in the hierarchy of functions (Ego, Persona, Shadow, Anima) determines its strength, its mode of manifestation (from confident demonstration to painful vulnerability), and its dynamic interaction with other forms of love and aspects of the individual. Thus, Amatorics operationalizes the rich heritage of understanding Eros, embedding it in a practical model for analyzing personality and relationships.
Moving from philosophy to twentieth-century psychology, Carl Jung reinterpreted Eros as one of the fundamental principles of the psyche, along with Logos. If Logos for Jung is the principle of reason, discrimination, and objectivity, then Eros is the principle of connectedness, relationships, feeling, and integration. Eros is responsible for establishing and maintaining connections – not only with other people, but also with various aspects of your own soul, contributing to its integrity. It is associated with subjective experience, empathy, intuitive understanding and integration of opposites within the individual, playing a key role in the process of individuation and interaction with the Anima and Animus archetypes.
Amatorics, as a modern typology, synthesizes these deep understandings of Eros. It recognizes it as a fundamental need for sympathy, attachment, and attraction, but places it in the specific structure of the psychotype as one of four key patterns and functions, along with Filia, Agape, and Storge. In Amatorics, Eros is not an abstract principle, but a measurable aspect of the individual, whose position in the hierarchy of functions (Ego, Persona, Shadow, Anima) determines its strength, its mode of manifestation (from confident demonstration to painful vulnerability), and its dynamic interaction with other forms of love and aspects of the individual. Thus, Amatorics operationalizes the rich heritage of understanding Eros, embedding it in a practical model for analyzing personality and relationships.
Description by function
- 1The First ErosWhen Eros takes first place, its owner expresses sympathy through his personality. Such a person is clearly aware of how much he likes this or that person. He understands what exactly makes him attractive. In relationships, he tends to confidently and openly demonstrate his sympathy.I witnessed a young couple quarrel. The girl was on the verge of breaking up the relationship, until the young man showed himself – "you are mine, I will not give you to anyone, you are the best, bright, kind!" So the owners of the First Eros feel and express their stable sympathy for those who are really dear to them. The experience of sympathy is productive for them – they pursue the goal of becoming akin to a person, tying him to themselves, becoming one. You're mine – and I'm yours. This is not possessiveness, not appropriation, but the creation of a confident relationship in which there is no room for doubt.
What distinguishes the First Eros from the Fourth? No likes for the latter? There is, they feel like a desire, something that is worth going into a relationship for. And they are happy to go to the place where the First Eros created a cozy nest of charming and attractive atmosphere. To come to a person who is close to you, at the level of emotions, energy and body – means to get the very relationship that is so much talked about. I will not create it myself, but I will come to someone who will do it. - 2The Second ErosEros in the second position sets up a person for mutual sympathy and affection. Such a person is primarily interested in the process of expressing sympathy, like dancing, when he goes to meet and they go to meet him. Such an Eros is able to find a creative approach in relationships, diversify them, and come up with a game.Eros connects destinies, binds people together. The owners of the Second Eros are extremely generous in showing such a relationship. Literally all people are cute and each individually. The second Eros looks for a common process – a game, a walk, a hobby. Figure out what we will do – go to a dance, watch a movie-creativity for such a person.
Being the owner of the Second Eros, I can not ignore the smile of others, I support relationships in which there is a crisis of mutual sympathy. I don't like quarrels and conflicts. Sympathy for people is felt consistently, there is no doubt, because a certain attitude is always formulated – nice people are attracted, a reasonable distance is maintained with less sympathetic ones.
If the First Eros is a stable and effective sympathy, then the Second Eros is a balanced process that does not allow excesses. They are peacemakers by nature, for whom a good relationship is not an empty phrase. It is important for them that in the process of communication they are one with the other person, so that the internal connection is not broken. And as soon as there is a misunderstanding, they immediately try to restore the balance.
When the Second and Third Eros enter the process of communication, a game of sympathy begins between them. One pulls the blanket over, the other gives in, and then they switch places. For such people, sympathy itself is not at the center of the relationship. It rather complements their personal life, makes the relationship creative and versatile. - 3The Third ErosEros in the third position makes a person dependent on the quality of sympathies in a relationship. If a person shows antipathy, doubts about attachment are expressed, then the person's self-esteem begins to suffer. The owner of the Third Eros may periodically doubt his own sympathy.Representatives of the Third Eros are sensitive to sympathy from others. And the Third function is not an expert in creating them. But sympathies are sometimes especially desirable, because they act as a measuring device for assessing the quality of relationships. And the perception from this point of view can be quite subjective. For the Third Eros, soft and situational sympathy is desirable, because confident and intrusive can be perceived painfully. Too sharp an attack causes a desire to settle down a person, "push" him away from you and keep a distance.
However, this is what any Third Function does, this is its passive way of protecting itself. The third Filia will interact less, the Third Storge will initiate the relationship strategy less, the Third Agape – the less help there is about someone who cannot provide it properly, the better. So the Third Function adjusts the relationship. And each psychic pattern does this for its own reasons.
Unconsciously, the Third Eros perceives such an aspect of the relationship as Attachment - a sense of intimacy based on loyalty to someone. And the perception of this aspect is tied to a person's self-esteem. If there is a sense of attachment in the relationship, then self-esteem will grow, if not, it will fall.
The Third Eros may have queries in the relationship – is the person loyal to me? The psyche is activated if this is really the case, it is drawn into relationships when it sees that its internal request is justified and finds confirmation of this. - 4The Fourth ErosEros in the fourth position allows a person to freely express their own sympathy. But the owner of such an eros often follows other people in attachment, especially those who insist on it, affirm it. It can be difficult for the owner of such an Eros to maintain their own sympathy in a relationship.Holders of the Fourth Eros psychically perceive sympathies as something that is "outside". One gets the feeling that it is not necessary to express sympathy, that this is some superfluous acquisition of human evolution. And they are also surprised when they themselves suddenly begin to express it. And then they may even notice - they like it, it complements them! Here they want to express it again, but they notice that they can't do it. The fact is that their psyche does not create such relationships, but rather reacts to them, wants to receive from others.
If the owner of the Fourth Eros decides to study this topic, then he will first of all be interested in questions of the "public" plan. It will Google queries about "how to express sympathy" to other people, "how to be nice", "how to say nice words", "how to create a relationship atmosphere" and much more.
In the end, he will understand what to do and how to do it, and will successfully use it, because the fourth function is a " tool "and" tool " for the psyche. It is the owners of the Fourth Eros who can learn to easily and freely give out compliments to others. There would be a desire.
But the desire, as a rule, may not be enough, because the higher functions of the psychotype easily draw all the attention to themselves. The last function "energy" is always allocated according to the residual principle. And it's not that it's unconscious, because all four functions produce a conscious product, it's the focus of consciousness itself, which is always shifted closer in the First and Second functions. Because it is they who are assigned to lead the psychotype - to comprehend relationships and help them establish them, in order to protect their own self-esteem and achieve self-realization – to take a favorable position for themselves.
And this sense of position, the feeling that you are in exactly the same relationship, comes from filling the fourth function. When its owner observes a High Eros, when he suddenly begins to feel that he is attached to this person – he understands that he really is in a relationship with him, even in a serious relationship. But as soon as this person goes out the door, the feeling literally disappears, melts before your eyes. And now the psyche is again busy with its usual comprehension of the surrounding reality. Yes, people through relationships affect our psyche, some make us nervous, while others plunge us into an atmosphere previously unknown.
Scientific base
Eros, as a fundamental type of love and attachment, has long been actively studied in various scientific disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and neuroscience. There is a vast body of scientific research accumulated over decades that explores romantic love (Eros), including its psychological mechanisms, social manifestations, evolutionary roots, and neurobiological underpinnings.
Scientific literature:
1. Neural correlates of Eros:
The neural basis of romantic love (Bartels A, Zeki S., 2000). Neuroreport.
Abstract: A classic study showing the activation of brain regions associated with the reward system (dopaminergic regions) when viewing photos of lovers.
Keywords: fMRI, romantic love, reward system, VTA, nucleus accumbens, insula, ACC.
Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love (Acevedo BP, Aron A, Fisher HE, Brown LL., 2012). Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
Abstract: The study shows that even in long-term relationships, intense romantic love can be associated with activation of the same brain regions (reward system) as in the early stages.
Keywords: long-term romantic love, fMRI, reward system, VTA, dopamine.
Reward, Addiction, and Emotion Regulation Systems Associated With Rejection in Love (Fisher, H. E., Brown, L. L., Aron, A., Strong, G., & Mashek, D., 2010). Journal of Neurophysiology.
Abstract: A study on the neural mechanisms underlying the response to rejection in love, with a focus on reward systems, addiction, and emotion regulation.
Keywords: rejection, romantic love, fMRI, reward system, addiction, emotion regulation.
2. Neurochemical patterns of Eros:
"Love is in the air": the neurobiology of love (Esch T, Stefano GB., 2005). Neuroendocrinology Letters.
Review: A review article that examines the role of various neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin) and neuropeptides in different phases of romantic love.
Ключевые слова: love, neurobiology, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, endorphins.
Intense, Passionate, Romantic Love: A Natural Addiction? How the Fields That Investigate Romance and Substance Abuse Can Inform Each Other (Fisher, H. E., Xu, X., Aron, A., & Brown, L., 2016). Frontiers in Psychology.
Abstract: A parallel is drawn between romantic love and addiction, in terms of similar neurochemical mechanisms.
Keywords: romantic love, addiction, dopamine, reward system, nucleus accumbens.
The Biochemistry of Love: An Oxytocin Hypothesis (Carter CS., 1992). Psychiatry.
Abstract: An early article focusing on the role of oxytocin.
Keywords: oxytocin, love, pair bonding, attachment.
3. Hormonal patterns of Eros:
Oxytocin pathways and the evolution of human behavior (Carter CS., 2014). Annual Review of Psychology.
Review: A review article examining the role of oxytocin in the evolution of human social behavior, including pair bonding and attachment.
Key words: oxytocin, evolution, social behavior, pair bonding, attachment.
Testosterone and romantic love: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Zheng, X., Zhou, X., & Zou, H., 2021). Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology
Abstract: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the relationship between testosterone levels and romantic love. It has been found that men in romantic relationships may have lower testosterone levels than single men.
Keywords: testosterone, romantic love, meta-analysis, relationship status.
Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice (Fisher HE., 2004). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Abstract: Consideration of romantic love from the point of view of choosing a partner.
Keywords: romantic love, mate choice, brain, evolution, hormones.
4. Biological patterns of Eros:
The drive to love: the neural mechanism for mate selection (Fisher H., 2004). Novartis Foundation Symposium.
Abstract: The author considers romantic love as an evolutionarily determined system of partner choice associated with activation of certain brain regions and neurochemical processes.
Keywords: romantic love, mate selection, brain, evolution, dopamine, norepinephrine.
Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction (Fisher HE, Aron A, Brown LL., 2002). Journal of Sex Research.
Abstract: The author divides the concepts of lust, attraction and attachment, considering their neurobiological foundations.
Keywords: lust, attraction, attachment, reproduction, brain, hormones.
The Evolution of Love and Long-Term Pair Bonding in Humans. (Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. C., 2015).
Abstract: A review article on the evolution of love and long-term pair relationships in humans.
Keywords: love, pair bonding, evolution, attachment, humans.
5. Social Implications of Eros:
Love, marriage, and happiness: A study of newlyweds (Lucas RE, Clark AE, Georgellis Y, Diener E., 2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Abstract: A study showing that getting married is generally associated with higher levels of happiness.
Keywords: marriage, happiness, life satisfaction, well-being.
The Science of Romantic Love: Distinct Evolutionary, Physiological, and Psychological Perspectives (Savulescu, J., & Sandberg, A., 2008).
Abstract: We discuss how discoveries in the neurobiology of romantic love can affect social aspects.
Keywords: romantic love, science, ethics, society, enhancement.
Cross-cultural similarities and differences in romantic love (Jankowiak WR, Fischer EF., 1992). Ethnology.
Abstract: A study showing that romantic love is a universal phenomenon present in different cultures, but its manifestations may vary.
Keywords: romantic love, cross-cultural, universality, cultural variation.
6. Clinical implications of Eros:
Obsessive love and obsessive-compulsive disorder: proposals for a nosological link (Marazziti D, Canale D., 2004). CNS Spectrums.
Abstract: A link is made between obsessive-compulsive love and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and general neurobiological mechanisms are discussed.
Keywords: obsessive love, obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, serotonin, dopamine.
Love Addiction: A Look at the Science and Treatment of a Compelling Behavior (Reynaud M., Karila L., Blecha L., and Benyamina A., 2010). American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Abstract: A review of the scientific literature on love addiction and a discussion of treatment methods for this condition.
Keywords: love addiction, behavioral addiction, treatment, therapy.
Attachment theory and research: Overview with suggested applications to child custody (Feeney JA, Noller P., 1996). Family and Conciliation Courts Review.
Abstract: An overview of attachment theory and its application in various fields, including family relations. The article examines how different attachment styles (reliable, anxious, avoidant) are formed in childhood and affect relationships in adulthood, including romantic ones.
Keywords: attachment theory, attachment styles, child custody, romantic relationships.
The neural basis of romantic love (Bartels A, Zeki S., 2000). Neuroreport.
Abstract: A classic study showing the activation of brain regions associated with the reward system (dopaminergic regions) when viewing photos of lovers.
Keywords: fMRI, romantic love, reward system, VTA, nucleus accumbens, insula, ACC.
Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love (Acevedo BP, Aron A, Fisher HE, Brown LL., 2012). Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
Abstract: The study shows that even in long-term relationships, intense romantic love can be associated with activation of the same brain regions (reward system) as in the early stages.
Keywords: long-term romantic love, fMRI, reward system, VTA, dopamine.
Reward, Addiction, and Emotion Regulation Systems Associated With Rejection in Love (Fisher, H. E., Brown, L. L., Aron, A., Strong, G., & Mashek, D., 2010). Journal of Neurophysiology.
Abstract: A study on the neural mechanisms underlying the response to rejection in love, with a focus on reward systems, addiction, and emotion regulation.
Keywords: rejection, romantic love, fMRI, reward system, addiction, emotion regulation.
2. Neurochemical patterns of Eros:
"Love is in the air": the neurobiology of love (Esch T, Stefano GB., 2005). Neuroendocrinology Letters.
Review: A review article that examines the role of various neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin) and neuropeptides in different phases of romantic love.
Ключевые слова: love, neurobiology, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, endorphins.
Intense, Passionate, Romantic Love: A Natural Addiction? How the Fields That Investigate Romance and Substance Abuse Can Inform Each Other (Fisher, H. E., Xu, X., Aron, A., & Brown, L., 2016). Frontiers in Psychology.
Abstract: A parallel is drawn between romantic love and addiction, in terms of similar neurochemical mechanisms.
Keywords: romantic love, addiction, dopamine, reward system, nucleus accumbens.
The Biochemistry of Love: An Oxytocin Hypothesis (Carter CS., 1992). Psychiatry.
Abstract: An early article focusing on the role of oxytocin.
Keywords: oxytocin, love, pair bonding, attachment.
3. Hormonal patterns of Eros:
Oxytocin pathways and the evolution of human behavior (Carter CS., 2014). Annual Review of Psychology.
Review: A review article examining the role of oxytocin in the evolution of human social behavior, including pair bonding and attachment.
Key words: oxytocin, evolution, social behavior, pair bonding, attachment.
Testosterone and romantic love: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Zheng, X., Zhou, X., & Zou, H., 2021). Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology
Abstract: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the relationship between testosterone levels and romantic love. It has been found that men in romantic relationships may have lower testosterone levels than single men.
Keywords: testosterone, romantic love, meta-analysis, relationship status.
Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice (Fisher HE., 2004). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Abstract: Consideration of romantic love from the point of view of choosing a partner.
Keywords: romantic love, mate choice, brain, evolution, hormones.
4. Biological patterns of Eros:
The drive to love: the neural mechanism for mate selection (Fisher H., 2004). Novartis Foundation Symposium.
Abstract: The author considers romantic love as an evolutionarily determined system of partner choice associated with activation of certain brain regions and neurochemical processes.
Keywords: romantic love, mate selection, brain, evolution, dopamine, norepinephrine.
Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction (Fisher HE, Aron A, Brown LL., 2002). Journal of Sex Research.
Abstract: The author divides the concepts of lust, attraction and attachment, considering their neurobiological foundations.
Keywords: lust, attraction, attachment, reproduction, brain, hormones.
The Evolution of Love and Long-Term Pair Bonding in Humans. (Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. C., 2015).
Abstract: A review article on the evolution of love and long-term pair relationships in humans.
Keywords: love, pair bonding, evolution, attachment, humans.
5. Social Implications of Eros:
Love, marriage, and happiness: A study of newlyweds (Lucas RE, Clark AE, Georgellis Y, Diener E., 2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Abstract: A study showing that getting married is generally associated with higher levels of happiness.
Keywords: marriage, happiness, life satisfaction, well-being.
The Science of Romantic Love: Distinct Evolutionary, Physiological, and Psychological Perspectives (Savulescu, J., & Sandberg, A., 2008).
Abstract: We discuss how discoveries in the neurobiology of romantic love can affect social aspects.
Keywords: romantic love, science, ethics, society, enhancement.
Cross-cultural similarities and differences in romantic love (Jankowiak WR, Fischer EF., 1992). Ethnology.
Abstract: A study showing that romantic love is a universal phenomenon present in different cultures, but its manifestations may vary.
Keywords: romantic love, cross-cultural, universality, cultural variation.
6. Clinical implications of Eros:
Obsessive love and obsessive-compulsive disorder: proposals for a nosological link (Marazziti D, Canale D., 2004). CNS Spectrums.
Abstract: A link is made between obsessive-compulsive love and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and general neurobiological mechanisms are discussed.
Keywords: obsessive love, obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, serotonin, dopamine.
Love Addiction: A Look at the Science and Treatment of a Compelling Behavior (Reynaud M., Karila L., Blecha L., and Benyamina A., 2010). American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Abstract: A review of the scientific literature on love addiction and a discussion of treatment methods for this condition.
Keywords: love addiction, behavioral addiction, treatment, therapy.
Attachment theory and research: Overview with suggested applications to child custody (Feeney JA, Noller P., 1996). Family and Conciliation Courts Review.
Abstract: An overview of attachment theory and its application in various fields, including family relations. The article examines how different attachment styles (reliable, anxious, avoidant) are formed in childhood and affect relationships in adulthood, including romantic ones.
Keywords: attachment theory, attachment styles, child custody, romantic relationships.