Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Love Journal | Page 10

performance. Self-love is important in it’s own right, as it can often lead to improved mental states and self-esteem. In addition to this, Aris-
totle once identified self-love as essential to the ability to extend love to those surrounding us. Therefore, during her performance Tamarind
Halstrom (and anyone else who participates in this type of process) is allowing himself to not only love themselves, but also to love others
and be loved by the audience.
Upon making oneself available to be loved during a performance, they allow the audience to view them as an object to be loved
according to Plato’s theory of love. This being said, the 5 audience begins to find aspects of the performance (or performer) that they find
lovable. This must first take place in order for the audience to in turn love the performer or their performance. As this first step in the
process of love of the audience for the performer does not necessarily need to involve the sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) that is
present in the first stage of love (lust), the love that is forming between the audience and performer appears to be platonic. 6 7 However,
the process does not end here. As the performance continues, the audience begins to find love for the physical abilities of the performer that
stems from the certain aspects that they find beautiful. Upon loving this performer for their abilities, and the essence of true beauty that
they contain, the audience affirms a concrete platonic love for the performer.
The essential part of