I was attracted by the mention in a Netflix movie, of Plato’s theory on love in his 2500 years old book ‘Symposium’. And I searched for some information.

‘Symposium depicts extemporaneous speeches in a banquet of men who include the philosopher Socrates, the general and political figure Alcibiades. It also includes one of the weirdest – and most charming – explanations of why people fall in love, ever invented. Plato gives this trippy exegesis to the playwright Aristophanes, who appears as a character in the book’.

Humans were powerful and had two heads and four each of hands and legs. And they started giving problems for the gods.

The gods met to discuss how they would deal with these circular attackers. Several suggested all-out slaughter. But Zeus said that humanity simply needed to be humbled, not destroyed. The gods decided to sever the humans in two.

After the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one.”

Certainly a crazy and charming theory of love.

And after all, platonic love is not that innocent or simple!