Do you have to love family?

I don't see a reason you wouldn't get a choice in the matter. It is usually expected in our society though. I love my family since in the end, it's all I've got. I can honestly say they'd do more and have done more for me than any of my friends ever have. If you lose your house, your parents will let you stay with them before you can convince a friend, 9 times out of 10. Stuff like that is what matters to me.

 

Solid, logical analogy. However I stay true to my point..a strong mind is required. SuF hit the nail on the head; is love controllable? Is any emotion controllable? People always say "I can't help but love him/her."

..is that statement valid?

You can go back to the whole argument of choice and what not, but try convincing the general population of that.

I appreciate you bringing morality into the discussion..I agree with you. Morality should not be judged when making a decision on what you love or don't love. I also take that to a widespread view; I'd like to see if you do the same...

If it's not immoral to not love your family, is it immoral to turn your head when you hear of children starving or animals being abused?

I wouldn't know about genetics in this case...

revisited* ?

We'll have to wait until someone answers your question.

 

"depends on your definition of family" I disagree..the word is internationally defined as a "social unit". Therefore I think there's no reason you couldn't remove biological relatives from your unit and add in friends.

Some people don't have families like that. They're families abuse and neglect them. I just think it's horrendous when I hear stories of abused children and then they end their sad tale with "...but they're my parents, and I'll always love them."

 

That is completely true. It's terrible that people can treat they're own flesh and blood that way. But, It's those same people that expect they're kids to love them unconditionally. To an extent though, they still did support they're kids, since they're alive to prove it. Maybe that's where "...but they're my parents, and I'll always love them." comes from.

 

The rock deserves manslaughter, if anything.

 

I do not see how this is relevant. It is perfectly possible that I do not love my family yet still will take care of them in a manner such that society will believe that I love them. Emotions do not dictate what you are able to do, for the most part, as long as you have strong control over yourself.

 

"It is perfectly possible that I do not love my family yet still will take care of them in a manner such that society will believe that I love them."

I don't see how that's relevant.

The relevancy in my statement: If you can turn your head on your family, what is is it acceptable to turn your head on?

 

What? I have no idea what you are saying.

 

Same answer.

Not directed at me, but I'll tell you what I think.

If it was in your abilities to save that person's life, then you should have done so, just as someone else could have done for you. But still, you're not obliged to go save every poor living thing you come across. It all depends on your mood. I get into a helping mood once in a while (not the type where I help kids though)...

If I came across a man who turns down every single request for help, I would describe him as selfish.

 

I think your "Yes"s are obligations, sort of like saying, "Your love is simply repayment for sacrificing their time." Those are all terrible reasons to love your family.

You shouldn't ever feel obligated to love somebody. You need to love them because it is a wholesome and rewarding experience--perhaps the most rewarding thing in the world. Humankind exists because of love. Yes, you have to love somebody, although requiring love for a nuclear family is not necessarily the case.

 

The way I see it is this:
Love makes you family (mutual). Blood makes you related.
From personal experience, I agree with this.

 

I would not say that love is a 'requirement', that you "have" to love your family. I do think most people, even given horrible situations feel an obligation to love their family. My girlfriend for example has parents i think who are pretty mean, i guess i would say to her. Yet that doesn't effect how she feels, no matter how bad it gets. Although her situation is minor compared to other it still stands that most people will continue to love their parents pretty much no matter what.

On the other hand though, some people choose to look at situations from more of a logical based view and if treated wrongly don't feel the emotional need to feel love for their parents.

Basically I don't think you have to, just depends on who you are as a person

 

in my family there is a lack of respect for one another. I would never talk to my parents about anything at all, my siblings and i are like acquaintances and it creates chaos, this has moulded me into an independent individual, I'm 18, and have gotten the attention and advice from other sources, and am doing just fine.

 

i love my family , i would risk my life to protect them.

 

I would say no, you don't HAVE to love your family, but there should be a bond between you and your family members. Now whether that is a good bond or a bad bond is totally up to personal circumstances.

 

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some family members are good. some family needs to be severed like an infected limb.

 

Well, you don't have to.
But ur life will be so much easier, when you show someone love.
They'll show love back.

 

no and yes

 

No, you don't.

My dad abandoned my mom, sister, and I over 10 years ago. Since then I've barely seen or spoken to him. Last time I saw him was over a year and a half ago. The time before that? Two years ago.

You know what I realized? Besides having his DNA, what link do I have to him? (And vice versa). What obligation do I have to my dad? Nothing binds me to him, besides the fact that I spent 10 years of my life with him.

As far as I'm concerned, he's just another one of the 6 billion people in this world.