What Valentine's Day really means: Love as an attitude

The name goes back to Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century, around whom several traditions have developed. The story has been passed down of a priest who married couples at a time when marriages were not officially permitted for Roman soldiers because the state considered family ties to be an obstacle to military readiness. He did not do this out of romanticism, but out of conviction: because he believed in the importance of relationships, responsibility, and care.
He is said to have been persecuted and ultimately executed for his actions—on February 14.

When we talk about love, we usually think of other people first. But all these relationships are shaped by what we associate with ourselves.

How we listen.
How we react.
How we take responsibility—for our words, our behavior, our decisions.

Love for others does not begin at the moment of encounter. It arises where we clarify how we treat ourselves. Self-love does not mean self-sufficiency or withdrawal. It means taking yourself seriously. Accepting that you are a person who is allowed to learn. Who is allowed to develop further. Who does not have to be finished in order to be valuable.

Relationships rarely fail due to a lack of affection. Much more often, they fail because of a lack of reflection. Because responsibility is relinquished. Because listening is difficult.

A willingness to learn is therefore not a self-improvement goal, but a prerequisite for sustainable relationships. Those who are willing to develop themselves remain flexible. Those who remain flexible can allow closeness without losing themselves.

Being willing to learn means

• Asking questions instead of being satisfied with quick answers
• Remaining open to new perspectives
• Admitting that growth takes time

Love is not just a feeling. It shows itself in actions. In what is said. And also in what remains unsaid.
Taking responsibility means looking at:

• How do I treat myself?
• How do my words and behavior affect others?

This attitude does not end in private life. It has an impact wherever people work together, bear responsibility, and interact with one another—including in professional life.

Cooperation is successful when people take themselves seriously while remaining open to others. Those who act reflectively communicate more clearly. Those who are willing to learn can handle feedback. Those who take responsibility for their own behavior create trust – in the team, with colleagues, and in daily cooperation.

In the work context, self-love does not manifest itself as withdrawal, but as reliability. As a willingness to listen, to develop further, and not to ignore one's own impact. This is precisely what creates respectful, sustainable cooperation.