>>18539Human beings are universally soaked in sin, by proxy of living in a fallen reality. But if you don't want to think about it in a religious sense, it's clear to see how human nature is flawed and selfish from a natural point of view also. Whatever form of love is most detached from sex is most spiritual, and whatever is attached to sex is the least. That is because the existence of the act of sex is (metaphorically) the result following the biblical Fall. Or materialistically, following the Big Bang, the necessary mechanism of evolution which is predicated on chance and chaos rather than any God ordained teleology. Why do I believe this, is because life in this universe, governed by darwinistic, cruel and uncaring mechanisms, principalities and powers turn it into a clearly *negative* sum game.
I mean yeah there were many traditions of mystics but I'd argue the majority of mystics who reached out for deeper forms of love throughout history were celibate. That's not to say they were hermits, or avoided the world because they were resentful or something, they just knew the base rabble and animal passions weren't even worth engaging with. It's is funny you mention Aristotle because his mentor Plato personifies perfectly what I just wrote. As far as we're aware he never married, he was celibate instead was focused on more meaningful matters such as studying the world and teaching it.
"Genuine love", as far as I understand, doesn't even require another person. It's more like a contemplative act. Any relationship with another person, particularly romantic, will involve chaos. I don't think avoiding this is running away or something, but instead the result of posessing wisdom of human behaviour. If an individual can subdue their loneliness or romantic inclination or redirect them towards something else as far as I'm concerned they have reached enlightenment. Additionally, I don't think people are locking themselves away because we live in a "weak" culture but quite the opposite. Rampant individualism, which focuses on the power of the individual will, has lead to the exacerbation of the worst of human traits and behaviours. In such an environment, to still idealise romance one would need to be a proper fool.