The Many Sides of Love
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
In a recent article, the writer Haley Mlotek asks: 'How can we define [love] well enough to demarcate its beginnings and endings?' Or, in the words of a classic '90s song that I imagine will now be stuck in your head, 'What is love?'
This post–Valentine's Day morning, we're sharing a collection of stories that explore the many facets of love. The following articles interrogate love as a feeling, a source of happiness, and the foundation of friendship and romance alike.
Seven Books That Capture How Love Really Feels
By Haley Mlotek
These books are all exquisite arguments for the necessity of stories about romance.
Read the article.
The Type of Love That Makes People Happiest
By Arthur C. Brooks
When it comes to lasting romance, passion has nothing on friendship.
Read the article.
What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?
By Rhaina Cohen
'Our boyfriends, our significant others, and our husbands are supposed to be No. 1. Our worlds are backward.'
Still Curious?
Don't let love take over your life: In 2023, Faith Hill argued for the importance of love-life balance.
The case for dating a friend: The warmth and care of an existing friendship is a great foundation for a romantic relationship—even if it feels scary to take the leap, Joe Pinsker wrote in 2022.
Other Diversions
P.S.
Each week, I ask readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. 'On my daily drive to town in Schoharie County, New York, I've stopped many times to take this same panoramic shot of the upper Catskills. I never tire of it as it changes each season,' writes Scott Oglesby, 78, from Middleburgh, New York.
I'll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. If you'd like to share, reply to this email with a photo and a short description so we can share your wonder with fellow readers in a future edition of this newsletter or on our website. Please include your name (initials are okay), age, and location. By doing so, you agree that The Atlantic has permission to publish your photo and publicly attribute the response to you, including your first name and last initial, age, and/or location that you share with your submission.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
8 hours ago
- Axios
Savage X Fenty doubles down on inclusion, even as others pull back
For Savage X Fenty, the lingerie line founded by Rihanna, DEI is at the center of all that they do, chief marketing officer Vanessa Wallace said at a recent Axios event in Cannes. Why it matters: As many brands quietly retreat from diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, Savage X Fenty is leaning in, building its identity and commercial strategy around its brand values. What she's saying: "From the beginning, Rihanna has stood for inclusivity," Wallace said. "Savage X Fenty redefined what inclusive looks like in lingerie. We always say: it's not the size that defines you — it's your confidence." Zoom in: The brand's Valentine's Day campaign, Love Your Way, exemplified that ethos by spotlighting different forms of love — self-love, romantic love, sisterhood and friendship. "It wasn't about being disruptive," Wallace said. "It was about being true to who we are and giving people the power to define love for themselves." The intrigue: Because the company's values are so embedded and understood by its consumer base, there was very little pushback to the campaign, says Wallace. "The community applauded it," she says. "When I'm scrolling TikTok or reading comments, it's clear people recognized what we were doing. We're just showing up authentically — and always trying to elevate voices that aren't often heard." Zoom in: While "The Navy," Rihanna's fan base, remains central, the brand is also growing into mainstream retail. Savage X Fenty can now be found in Nordstrom in the U.S., Galeries Lafayette in France, and Selfridges in the U.K. "It's our chance to meet the girl next door," Wallace said. What to watch: Expect more creative collaborations and a push into sports.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
The Challenges and Opportunities of Midlife
The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning. In a 2019 article, Arthur C. Brooks delivered some bad news: 'If your profession requires mental processing speed or significant analytic capabilities—the kind of profession most college graduates occupy—noticeable decline is probably going to set in earlier than you imagine.' How does a person manage professional decline when it comes for them—and, for that matter, the many other changes that midlife may bring? One idea that Brooks landed on in his research: a reverse bucket list. 'My goal for each year of the rest of my life should be to throw out things, obligations, and relationships until I can clearly see my refined self in its best form,' he writes. Today's newsletter explores the challenges and the opportunities of midlife. On Midlife Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think By Arthur C. Brooks Here's how to make the most of it. (From 2019) Read the article. The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis By Jonathan Rauch What a growing body of research reveals about the biology of human happiness—and how to navigate the (temporary) slump in middle age (From 2014) Read the article. The Two Choices That Keep a Midlife Crisis at Bay By Arthur C. Brooks Middle age is an opportunity to find transcendence. Read the article. Still Curious? Why making friends in midlife is so hard: 'I thought I was done dating. But after moving across the country, I had to start again—this time, in search of platonic love,' Katharine Smyth writes. How an 18th-century philosopher helped solve my midlife crisis: In 2006, I was 50—and I was falling apart,' Alison Gopnik writes. Other Diversions Alexandra Petri: So, what did I miss? Another side of modern fatherhood The cowardice of live-action remakes P.S. I asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. 'I recently returned to Badlands National Park with my now adult daughter,' Erick Wiger, 67, from Minneapolis, writes. 'It is a place of stark, and sometimes magical beauty.' I'll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. If you'd like to share, reply to this email with a photo and a short description so we can share your wonder with fellow readers in a future edition of this newsletter or on our website. Please include your name (initials are okay), age, and location. By doing so, you agree that The Atlantic has permission to publish your photo and publicly attribute the response to you, including your first name and last initial, age, and/or location that you share with your submission. — Isabel Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
5 days ago
- Atlantic
The Challenges and Opportunities of Midlife
This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning. In a 2019 article, Arthur C. Brooks delivered some bad news: 'If your profession requires mental processing speed or significant analytic capabilities—the kind of profession most college graduates occupy—noticeable decline is probably going to set in earlier than you imagine.' How does a person manage professional decline when it comes for them—and, for that matter, the many other changes that midlife may bring? One idea that Brooks landed on in his research: a reverse bucket list. 'My goal for each year of the rest of my life should be to throw out things, obligations, and relationships until I can clearly see my refined self in its best form,' he writes. Today's newsletter explores the challenges and the opportunities of midlife. On Midlife Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think By Arthur C. Brooks Here's how to make the most of it. (From 2019) Read the article. The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis By Jonathan Rauch What a growing body of research reveals about the biology of human happiness—and how to navigate the (temporary) slump in middle age (From 2014) Read the article. The Two Choices That Keep a Midlife Crisis at Bay By Arthur C. Brooks Middle age is an opportunity to find transcendence. Still Curious? Why making friends in midlife is so hard: 'I thought I was done dating. But after moving across the country, I had to start again—this time, in search of platonic love,' Katharine Smyth writes. How an 18th-century philosopher helped solve my midlife crisis: In 2006, I was 50—and I was falling apart,' Alison Gopnik writes. Other Diversions P.S. I asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. 'I recently returned to Badlands National Park with my now adult daughter,' Erick Wiger, 67, from Minneapolis, writes. 'It is a place of stark, and sometimes magical beauty.' I'll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks. If you'd like to share, reply to this email with a photo and a short description so we can share your wonder with fellow readers in a future edition of this newsletter or on our website. Please include your name (initials are okay), age, and location. By doing so, you agree that The Atlantic has permission to publish your photo and publicly attribute the response to you, including your first name and last initial, age, and/or location that you share with your submission.
