mataki sliding: Platonic Etymology. You know, a word often used to crush any hope of a possible future relationship.

At some point in our lives, we’ve all most likely received or given the following responses: Oh, I like you, but not in that way. Or, I have feelings for you too, but I don't want to do anything that could jeopardize our friendship. You're like a brother/sister to me.

First off, Plutonic is defined by The Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “…being a relationship marked by the absence of romance or sex.”

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Aristocles was nicknamed Plato, hence Platonic.

Sketch of Aristocles. Courtesy of G.J. Mattey from UC Davis Philosophy

Platon interestingly enough is simply Greek for broad-shouldered. According to Charles Hodgson, host of

podictionary.com one story suggests he was a big and strong guy who lived well into his 80^th year. Which was a long freaking time back in 427 B.C. Life expectancy at 400 B.C. was estimated to be around 30 years of age. 80 years back then was like living till 160 years of age now according to The “Expectation of Life at Birth, and Projections” from The US Census Bureau 2010 Statistical Abstract.

No source or dated info available. Photographs courtesy of Butterfly Rocket

Coined by Italian Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino in the 15^th century. He was the first translator of Plato’s works into Latin and reintroduced the concept of platonic love which was derived from Plato’s writings in “Symposium.” The part about interest Socrates took on young men. Socrates was supposedly Plato’s teacher even though the only things we know about this ole bag was whatever Plato said because there’s no evidence Socrates wrote anything down. There are also theories he was illiterate. Regardless, Ficino’s main focus was exploring the immortality of the soul and consequently tried to synthesize Christianity and Platonism. Platonic love or amor platonicus one person experiences toward another Fincino emphasized with spiritual ideas. A love between two humans was preparatory for the love of God. It is seen as the most evolved type of love, an a-sexual love. So Sam thinks that Regina’s is derived apart from her, meaning the source of her beauty, Sam thinks is love of divinity and soul stuff yatta yatta.

Sketch of Ficino Marsilio. Photography courtesy of commons wikimedia

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, Ficino’s usage Platonic was first recorded into the English language in 1533 to describe everything related to Plato and de-emphasized all Ficino’s God mumbo. Boiling it down to the absence of sexual desire between the sexes.

Family Tree Photograph courtesy of Wilson Almanac

And goes on to read, “Though the concept is an elevated one, the term has perhaps more often been applied in ways that led Samuel Richardson to have one of his characters in Pamela say, ‘I am convinced, and always was, that Platonic love is Platonic nonsense.’”