‘Unconditional Love’ Makes a Mockery of Love

How many times have you been told that you should love your parents, spouse, or even complete strangers “unconditionally”?

Influential figures from Gandhi to the Dalai Lama have advocated practicing “unconditional love,” claiming that we should love others without expecting anything in return. Sometimes, people interpret this idea as meaning that we should “love” a particular person (such as a family member) without regard for his or her flaws, value to us, or behavior. Oth…