July 24, 1931 page 2 Have the Times Changed? It is the privilege of each era to consider itself a special case. In the good old days, for example, people said love and loyalty lasted longer and got better with age. Now, in our day we might overemphasize both the good and the bad but the echo of all opinions concerning our concepts of love and our eroticism — partly negative and partly positive — are always most assuredly: By love we mean something quite different; we love so differently from all previous generations! Today this eternal emphasis on the "differences" leads one to think more about them and consider them more closely and it reveals something very remarkable. Indeed, there's no denying that the war and post-war years — the heaviest blows which our culture has ever suffered — have transformed among other things our lovelife. A thousand symptoms: "sexual freedom" (and the misunderstanding about this concept,) the "Girl," the "Flapper," the "Garçonne" (Tomboy,) and the "Trial Marriage." All these are on the list of transformations. And yet, do we really love differently than our ancestors? Do we hate differently? Do we react differently to waning love, betrayal, jealousy? The most grandiose book on love from the 12th century, the Minne Regel (The Rules of Love), which was cited in Stendhals De L'Amour, shocks the thoughtful reader with its weird pertinence today. Here are some examples: No one seeks to love without the hope of love in return. * * * Avarice most often drives love out of a house. * * * Love gained by force brings no enjoyment. * * * Sometimes love lasts, sometimes it doesn't. * * * Anyone who's jealous cannot love. * * * An easy victory soon robs love of its charm; hinderances lend value. * * * New love chases away old love. * * * Love shuns away from the excessive pursuit of pleasure. * * * True love does not desire the caresses of anyone other than the beloved. * * * Love is no obstacle to marriage. * * * Anyone entertaining thoughts of love eats little and sleeps less. * * * All the lover's deeds end with thoughts of the beloved. * * * Dying love flickers out quickly and seldom rekindles. * * * Love can deny love nothing. * * * The lover will never tire of the beloved's pleasure.