Eva von Baudissin - Ursachen der Liebe (The Causes of Love)

In her essay Ursachen der Liebe, Eva von Baudissin (1869-1943) makes it clear that it is a mistake to love "at random" (p. 1) but that there are certain reasons that trigger this feeling in us. In doing so she comes across strange experiences and comes to the conclusion: "No, they are mostly average types, endowed with one single enchanting quality [...]. Disillusionment therefore occurs almost instantaneously once the spell is broken, often by a ridiculous trifle." (p. 3) The principle of unegotistic love is rather rare for Baudissin.

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