Romantic love is just a gradient of the whole spectrum of love. I love my computer, my cat, my sister, the woods, my crazy uncle, my friends, my sub. It’s all different, but sort of the same. Even the love I had for each past tense husband was different. Love is not exclusive, not limited, maybe not perfectly definable. Love has nothing to do with sex, although the two are often mixed up. Love could be sorted (the ancient Greeks had four words for it), but where the lines are drawn will always be in contention. So sad for love to be fought over. So much more happy to share it, spread it around, wallow in love. Can I love more than one person? Hell yeah. Can I love everyone? Hmmm.
Tolerance for anything? No. Anything safe, sane and consensual? Yes. Not just talking BDSM, either. That’s for everything from religion to sex to work to other social situations to media. So a guy wants to let some other guy run his life totally? Good for them. A guy wants to put his cock in a pre-teen’s ass? There’s nothing sane or safe or consensual about that, anymore than if he wanted to put his cock up a sheep’s ass. He wants to have sex with his mix sexed adult harem who also love to be whipped by him - more power to them all. Someone wants to believe that his religion is the only way to get to heaven and the rest of us poor souls are doomed, fine. But if his religion demands that he either kill or convert all other people to his religion, then no, that’s not consensual, not sane, and most certainly not safe. I certainly don’t have to agree with your point of view, and I don’t require you to agree with mine. I am never going to agree, though, that a Jew, a Catholic or a Buddhist is in any way superior to any flavor of Pagan any more than I’d agree that any Pagan - myself included - is better or more enlightened than any member of an organized religion. It’s that wondrous diversity of humanity that makes us interesting, that lets us learn from each other and try new things, new combinations. If we were all perfectly the same, the world would be a dull, dull place. I’ll tolerate anything that doesn’t damage someone else against their will; that is safe, sane and consensual.
Compassion comes through those two. Love brings care along with it. Tolerance unlimits who we feel comfortable caring for. Compassion is what brings a community together after a disaster, no matter how small, to care for its members. Just because that person with a broken heart after a breakup is Jewish doesn’t mean she wouldn’t appreciate a shoulder to cry on, even if that is a Pagan shoulder. And just because the man who lost his home to a fire was born a woman doesn’t mean he couldn’t use a hand rebuilding - or maybe that old pair of jeans you’ve outgrown and the couple of extra blankets in the back of the closet. Compassion is something we can be as generous with as our love and our tolerance.
Exercise all three for the best possible emotional health. And I'm not just talking about your own.
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