Should Love Be the Highest Human Value?

Many spiritual paths emphasize the notion that love is the essence of who we are. 

Although love might seem like an easy word to define, many of us may have different ideas of what love is. Putting the concept of love into practice may also become misguided when our various definitions mix with the needs and gratifications of this physical world. A love of money could easily turn into selfish greed, and a love for a romantic partner can easily be confused with infatuation. 

With this in mind, should we place love as the highest human value to embody? Perhaps we could only do so if love universally encompassed other important values such as altruism, compassion, and humility. If humanity truly elevated love to embrace the individual, society at large, and the future of mankind, then I do believe it should be something to strive for. 

When I look at the world today, I see a society that still has a long way to go when it comes to embracing this value. Systems and corporations would need to switch their agenda in order to embrace equality and fairness for all groups of people. Animals and plants would need to be given the same amount of rights as humans in order to save the dying planet. Emotional intelligence would need to be emphasized in schools in order to teach children the importance of self-awareness and empathy. These are just a few examples of what would need to change. 

Awakening to love on an individual level would mean seeing beyond the rat race of life and realizing the limitless potential each of us has. We have so much more worth than we believe we do, and so much capability to positively impact the lives of those around us. Love can change the world, only if we let it.