Behind the Title

Eros

When deciding what to title my short film, I came up with a few ideas, but none of which really stuck with me. Everything I thought up was either too long, too cliche, or simply didn't fit. One day as I was driving a song came on, Eros by Young the Giant; it is one of my favorite songs but I had never given any further thought into the title of the song. It is a word that I have heard time and time again, and upon doing some research about the history of the word and the different contexts in which it is used, it struck me that this would fit perfectly as the title of my short film.

Mythology
Eros is the Greek god of love. Eros is more commonly known Cupid, so the name is most often overlooked. You may also know of Eros because of his even more recognizable mother Aphrodite. He is often depicted as having wings along with his usual bow and arrow. With these tools he can cause people to fall in love, and in that way cause love itself. Eros often refers to more intimate and romantic love rather than other forms like familial love.

Psychology
Another way to define eros is in terms of psychology. According to psychologist Sigmund Freud, eros  is one's life instinct or life force, which is often associated with sexuality. Freud believed that the life instinct was to survive and in that manner, to reproduce. Eros in this context is also associated with Thanatos, which is the death instinct. Thanatos represents anger and hate and in this way it creates a balance with Eros.

Philosophy
Another connection to eros is made through great philosophers like Plato and Socrates. In dialogues such as the Lysis and the Symposium, eros is defined simply as "love". Like the other mentions of eros, it represents a more passionate love. Plato also helped distinguish and identify the different meanings of love, whether it be more intimate, pure, or platonic.

Sources: http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Eros/eros.html, https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Eros, http://study.com/academy/lesson/eros-life-instinct-definition-lesson-quiz.html, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-friendship/, https://philosophynow.org/issues/85/Eros_In_Plato