Mature love, unlike mere coexistence, is a union in which a person preserves their own integrity and individuality. In love, there is a paradox: two beings become one, yet they remain two separate individuals at the same time.
Baruch Spinoza distinguishes between active and passive states, describing them as actions and passions. In this sense, to love is not something that can be forced; it can only be experienced in freedom. Love is an act that expresses and embodies a person’s inner power.
ERICH FROMM