What Kind of Valentine's Day are you Celebrating?

Valentines Day is on the horizon, and yes I got a present for Cheryl. I'm ahead of schedule for a change, but this time I knew what she wanted.

Richard Beck over at Experimental Theology compares our celebrations of Valentines Day to Freud's "Stages of Psychosocial Development." He points to the differences between our elementary school and high school celebrations -- with one being the "latency stage" and the other the "genital stage." In the elementary school years valentines don't have sexual content -- they're about friendship and inclusion -- Philia. But by high school it's all about boyfriends, girlfriends, romance and eros! Beck want's to push for a return to the Elementary School definition as Valentines Day has, he believes become too genitalized!

Interesting idea.

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