Things No One Taught Us About Love (book)

I read Vex King’s “No One Taught Us About Love”. With 302 pages it didn’t feel heavy, yet did give me a lot of space to contemplate.

There are five parts of this book.

Part 1: The Nature of Love

Part 2: First Connections

Part 3: Cultivating Healthy Bonds

Part 4: The Realities of Relationships

Part 5: Letting Go with Grace

I enjoyed reading this book because aside that the main topic is love, it felt like reviewing my own perspectives of love. For perspectives aligned, I feel the author’s vibe; those not aligned, so far I don’t plan to make alignment with his. I always sprinkle a pinch of criticality when reading or listening to others; like me, they’re not flawless. Or, at least his and my understanding of life and love depart from different backgrounds and interactions.

So much to share but here is some:

“Self-love isn’t selfish. When misused, self-love becomes an excuse to fulfil cravings and boost our self-image without considering how our actions might impact others and the world around us. For example…. like telling yourself ‘I’m worth it!’ As justification to buy the overpriced shoes you can’t actually afford when you really need new tyres for the car”. (aligned)

RICH: Respect, Intimacy, Communication, Honesty (aligned)

Be your partner’s cheerleaders (partially aligned, I will be loyal supporters but not cheerleaders who have to be acrobatic in public; it might be his diction is not my take; but I understand.)

Love isn’t transactional. (aligned but honestly I can feel drained if loving without reciprocity; transaction isn’t a taboo as long as it is wisely managed & not always about material things)

Enjoy the “hazy” voice of mine reading several paragaraphs for you. Not a native speaker: few words were mispronounced. 😁