Love... with understanding

Many people still think that love is a given within a family: parents naturally love their children, husbands and wives are naturally close, and siblings naturally love each other. Therefore, even when there are arguments, distance, or conflicts, the love within the family allows members the opportunity to forgive, reconcile, or reconnect after setbacks—an opportunity that many other social relationships lack.

Having fun with your child. (Illustrative image: Internet)

However, in the age of social media, artificial intelligence, and ever-changing values, family love also needs to be nurtured through understanding, dialogue, and daily emotional support. The reality of modern life shows that family love is facing many silent risks of breakdown. Information technology permeates every aspect of life, yet it is causing people to become increasingly emotionally distant. Technology doesn't destroy family happiness, but the lack of presence, understanding, and genuine connection is doing just that. Individual values are emphasized, but the ability to listen to and accept differences within the family is declining. Economic pressure, work, studies, achievements, coupled with the allure of social media, are making relationships between family members more fragile and vulnerable.

In this context, love within the family cannot be based solely on emotions or habits, but needs to be redefined as a conscious social behavior. That is, within the family, each member should proactively learn to love with understanding on a new foundation: understanding is not just simple sympathy, but understanding each other within a constantly changing social context. Understanding in love is not simply knowing what the other person likes or dislikes, but empathizing with what they are going through and the pressures they are facing. Many parents worry about their children, but if they don't understand the psychology of that age group, their way of expressing concern can become controlling, making children feel suffocated. When a partner is simply silent because they are tired, without empathy, it's easy to misinterpret it as coldness or indifference. Small misunderstandings accumulate over time, creating a large distance. Therefore, many couples break up not because of a serious event, but because of a prolonged lack of understanding in daily communication.

In a rapidly changing world , what we need to learn isn't how to love more, but how to love more deeply and understand better. It doesn't need to be grand gestures; a gentle question instead of a reproach, a hug when a loved one is too silent, putting down the phone to truly listen… these are all concrete expressions of understanding love. Love within a family, therefore, cannot be something "taken for granted" as in traditional thinking. It must be cultivated and nurtured as a life skill. It's the ability to listen without judgment, the ability to adjust expectations and respond flexibly to the changes in others. It's social sensitivity, where each member understands that everyone in the family is growing, changing, and facing challenges.

Understanding extends beyond simply understanding others; it also encompasses the ability to understand oneself: to understand one's own emotions, limitations, needs, and reaction habits. A person can only love healthily when they possess the inner capacity to control their emotions, knowing when to stop, when to apologize, and when to remain silent to listen.

Ultimately, family happiness doesn't come from living together in the same space, but from the ability to be fully present in each moment. Perhaps that's why love in modern families needs to be expressed in an understanding way so that members grow together through each stage of family life.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202506/yeu-thuong-co-hieu-biet-e4d1059/