Amor, Amicitia, Dilectatio

So Latin has these levels of love: cupiditas (lust), amor (romantic love), amicitia (friendship),and dilectatio (you care so much for the other person that you would give your life for them- implies sacrifice, the love isn't just about the way the other person makes You feel).  In case you wanted to know, this is a concept which Cicero articulated (particularly in his work De Amicitia, which is quite nice).

In science fiction I have always envied the ability to create these chosen families.  Deep, meaningful relationships where they can get through anything.  Because no one wants to go it alone, and who wouldn't want to be surrounded by people who care about and respect them?  I'm going to focus on the amor, amicitia, dilectatio, and the combinations thereof.

Star Trek:

Cutest awkward moment ever.

"But, now, the thing is, for the longest time, whenever anyone would use my name, the first thing I would think of was what it meant, 'nothing'. What better way to describe me? I had no family, no friends, no place where I belonged. I thought it was the most appropriate name anyone could give me. And then I met you... 

[long pause]
...And the others - Sisko, Dax, even Quark. And now, when I hear one of you call me Odo, I no longer think of myself as nothing. I think of myself as me."

Spock: [on the death of his half-brother, Sybok]  I've lost a brother.

Kirk: [speaking about Spock] Yes.  I lost a brother once.  I was lucky I got him back.

McCoy: I thought you said men like us don't have families

Kirk: I was wrong.

Kirk: I've always known I'll die alone.
...
Kirk: I thought I was going to die.
Spock: Not possible.  You were never alone.

[Spock's dying words to Kirk]
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.
...
I have been... and always shall be... your friend. Live long... and prosper."

Spock: You came back for me.
Kirk: You would have done the same for me.
Spock: Why would you do this? [Spock has amnesia]
Kirk: Because sometimes the needs of the one... outweigh the needs of the many.

Doctor Who is going to be a montage of videos.  I encourage y'all to watch, because they are touching and I couldn't really do this with words. 

Amicitia (Don't want to do it alone):

 

[The Doctor, to Donna] "You saved my life, in so many ways"

Dilectatio:

Particularly interesting if you know how being loved changed the Doctor.
Oh, I'm such a sap (don't tell anyone!).

Best example: the Doctor gives up Rose to live with the human Doctor because he loves her.

I can't recreate that scene and what it meant in a sentence, but everyone who knows what I am talking about will recognize what kind of a sacrifice that was.

And, of course, Mulder and Scully.  That relationship had a ton of screen time (7 seasons + 2 movies, over 20 episodes/season, a little under an hour per episode) to develop and hit some serious dilectatio.  I'd like to get around to re-watching "The X-Files" because I love the themes in that show.  Oh, spooky Mulder.  Actually, I've noticed this thing with my characters- that is, I seem to pick the same character every time.  But that should be a different post.  I'm just getting all nostalgic.