Everybody looks but nobody tells what he thinks

Upon re-reading the Symposium of Plato, I chanced upon this thought that I can hardly point out a greater good for someone, to have, than a good lover, and for a lover, a beloved.

That should guide human beings who are going to live fairly throughout their lives, cannot be implemented by neihter blood ties, nor honors, nor wealth, nor anything else as beautifully as by love.

Now what do I say this is? It is shame in the face of shameful things and honorable ambition in the face of beautiful things. For without them, neither city nor private person can accomplish great and beautiful deeds. So I assert than in the case of any real man who loves, were is to come to light that he was either doing something shameful or putting up with it from another out of cowardice and without defending himself, he would not be as pained on being observed by either his father, his comrades, nor anyone else as by his beloved. We observe that this same thing also applies in the case of the beloved. He is exceptionally shamed before his lover whenever he is seen to be involved in something shameful for him.

So if there were any possibility that a city or army could be composed of lovers and beloveds, then there could be no better way for them to manage their own city. Coz they would abstain from all that is shameful and be filled with love or honor before one another. And besides, were they to do battle alongside one another, then even a few of this sort would win over just about all human beings; for a real man in love would of course far less prefer to be seen by his beloved than by all the rest when it comes to deserting his post or throwing away his weapons. He would chose to be dead many times over before that happened.

And, to say nothing of leaving behind one's beloved or not coming to his aid when he is in danger, there is no one so bad that, he would not be directed toward virtue - to the point where he is like one who is best by nature: And simply as Homer said "the strength that the god breathed into some of the heroes*", the lovers supplies from himself to their beloved.

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note: *In Iliad, Athena breathes strength into Diomedes, and Apollo does the same for Hector.

Be it dreaming or undreaming with the idealism of love, with this I could say, as a beloved, that I have reached that same height of feeling and as a lover, that I have also breathe strength to my beloved as he breathed unto me.