


Unconditional love should not be confused with unconditional dedication: unconditional dedication or "duty" refers to an act of the will irrespective of feelings (e.g. Conditional love requires some kind of finite exchange, whereas unconditional love is seen as infinite and measureless. In conditional love, love is "earned" on the basis of conscious or unconscious conditions being met by the lover, whereas in unconditional love, love is "given freely" to the loved one "no matter what". Some authors make a distinction between unconditional love and conditional love. ( September 2012) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. In psychology, unconditional love refers to a state of mind in which one has the goal of increasing the welfare of another, despite the lack of any evidence of benefit for oneself.

In ethology, or the study of animal behavior, unconditional love would refer to altruism, which in turn refers to the behavior by individuals that increases the fitness of another while decreasing the fitness of the individual committing the act. In Christianity, unconditional love is thought to be part of the Four Loves affection, friendship, eros, and charity. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing unconditional love, but most will agree that it is that type of love which has no bounds and is unchanging. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions. Parental love is said to be the best example of unconditional love.
