View source for Storge

{{short description|Familial love, natural or instinctual affection to one such as a family member}}
[[File:Karl Friedrich Lessing, German - The Robber and His Child - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Karl Friedrich Lessing]]'s ''The Robber and his Child'' (1832)]]
{{Love sidebar|cultural}}

'''Storge''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|ɔr|ɡ|i}} {{respell|STOR|ghee}};<ref name=collins>{{cite Collins Dictionary|storge}}</ref> {{etymology|grc|''{{wikt-lang|grc|στοργή}}'' ({{grc-transl|στοργή}})|love, affection}}),<ref>{{cite book|first=Walter|last=Hooper|title=C. S. Lewis: A Companion & Guide|year=1996|page=369-70}}</ref> or '''familial love''', refers to natural or instinctual [[affection]],<ref name=collins/><ref name="Strong">{{cite book|vauthors=Strong B, Yarber WL, Sayad BW, Devault C|title=Human sexuality: diversity in contemporary America|edition=6th|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York|year=2008|page=228|isbn=978-0-07-312911-2}}</ref> such as the [[love]] of a parent towards offspring and vice versa.

In [[social psychology]], another term for love between good friends is ''[[philia]]''.<ref name="Strong"/>

==Extent==
Storge is a wide-ranging force which can apply between family members, friends, [[pet]]s and their [[pet owner | owner]]s,<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Bodson
 |first1               = Liliane
 |editor-last1         = Podberscek
 |editor-first1        = Anthony L. 
 |editor-last2         = Paul
 |editor-first2        = Elizabeth S.
 |editor-last3         = Serpell
 |editor-first3        = James A.
 |editor-link3         = James Serpell
 |date                 = 21 July 2005
 |orig-date            = 2000
 |chapter              = Motivations for pet-keeping in Ancient Greece and Rome: a preliminary survey
 |title                = Companion animals and us: exploring the relationships between people and pets
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=tSs2yV_F4n0C 
 |edition              = reprint, revised
 |publisher            = Cambridge University Press
 |page                 = 35
 |isbn                 = 9780521017718
 |access-date          = 17 March 2025
 |quote                = [...] the feeelings identified by the owner in his or her animal were called {{translit | grc | storge}}. This term, literally 'affection', acquired the meaning 'filial' or 'brotherly affection' when applied to children (and 'parental affection' if applied to parents). In the context of pet-keeping, it compared the animals' attitudes towards their masters to the affection either of children towards their parents, or of sisters and brothers towards each other.
}}
</ref>
companions or colleagues. [[Patriotism | Love of a country]], of a [[nation]], or [[Sports fandom | of a sports team]] may count as storge.<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Vareekal
 |first1               = George
 |date                 = 28 March 2022
 |title                = Aspects of Romantic Love: Perceptions on Love and Marriage
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=BhFlEAAAQBAJ
 |publisher            = Notion Press
 |isbn                 = 9798885554138
 |access-date          = 17 March 2025
 |quote                = Storge is love related to familiarity, dependence and relationship. The love that exists petween parents and children and among childhood friends and companions, love for a particular country, people, or a cricket or football team etc. are examples of Storge.
}}
</ref>

Storge can blend with and help underpin other types of ties such as [[passionate love]] or [[friendship]].<ref>Hooper, p. 370.</ref>
Thus "storge" may function as a general term to characterize the love between exceptional friends, and their desire to care compassionately for one another.<ref>B. Strong et al., ''The Marriage and Family Experience'' (2010) p. 150.</ref>{{qn|date=March 2022}}

==Storge love ==
Sometimes the term is used to refer to the love between married partners who are committed and plan to have a long relationship together, particularly as a fundamental relational foundation after initial [[infatuation]] ([[limerence]]).

Another interpretation for storge is to be used to describe a sexual relationship between two people that gradually grew out of a friendship<ref name="Strong"/>—storgic lovers sometimes cannot pinpoint the moment that friendship turned to love.<ref>''Family Experience'' p. 149</ref> Storgic lovers are friends first; the friendship and the storge can endure even beyond the breakup of the relationship.<ref name="Strong"/> They want their significant others also to be their best friends. They will choose their mates based on similar goals and interests—[[Homogamy (sociology)|homogamy]].<ref>C. Gottschalk, ''How to Heal After Heartbreak'' (2013) p. 252</ref> Storgic lovers place much importance on commitment and find that their motivation to avoid committing [[infidelity]] is to preserve the trust between the two partners. Children and marriage are seen as legitimate long-term aims for their bond,<ref>J. S. Greenberg, ''Empowering Health Decisions'' (2013) p. 234</ref> while [[passion (emotion)|passionate]] [[Human sexuality|sexual]] intensity is of lesser importance than in other love styles.<ref>Gottschalk, p. 252</ref>

==Advantages==
The advantages of storgic love may be how much storgic lovers love their own families and understand each other. In addition, two people who are deeply devoted to one another can feel the intimacy that they share.{{Citation needed|reason=Other sources claim that since other forms of love can evolve into Storge, Storge can evolve into other forms of love. Also the description of Storge in terms of investment, demanding a return on investment as integral part of evaluation, is entirely subjective and opinionable rather than factful.|date=July 2018}}

==See also==
*[[Attachment theory]]
*[[Greek words for love]]
*[[Immediate family]]
*[[Love styles]]
*''[[The Four Loves]]''
*[[Parental love]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Wiktionary}}

*Lee JA (1973). ''The colors of love: an exploration of the ways of loving''.
*Lee JA (1988). "Love styles" in Barnes MH, Sternberg RJ. ''The psychology of love''.
*Lewis CS (1960). ''The four loves''.
*Wood JT (2015). ''Interpersonal communication: everyday encounters''. 8 ed.

{{Family}}

[[Category:Ancient Greek philosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Family]]
[[Category:Love]]