Why are "love potions" always romantic in nature? Why hasn't anyone made a non-romantic variant?

70 points · 40 comments · view on lemmy.world

40 Comments

SPRUNT@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 294d

A restraining order potion would make a mint!

DomeGuy@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 294d

You mean, instead of an eros potion it'd be a portion of agapa, philia, or xenia?

Most likely because "be nice to strangers" or "don't defile the dead" can be easily enforced with violence without being rapey.

(And, worth noting, modern anti-depresssnts are kind of a philautía potion already, since they help with "love of self.")

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love

PineRune@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 294d

Like a potion that just charms someone without making them fall in love? I'm pretty sure D&D has a spell that does exactly that, and just about any spell can be made into a potion IIRC.

MECHAGIC@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 13 pts · 294d (2 replies)

Like a friendship potion?

Jobe@feddit.org · 8 pts · 294d

Beer? (Not an alcoholic, just an engineering student)

WoodScientist@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 294d

That would be a great item for a DND session. Could be sold by an incompetent or novice potion maker, or at some magic potion equivalent of a scratch and dent store. Or the dollar store version of a love potion.

Kolanaki@pawb.social · 12 pts · 294d (5 replies)

Because that would be a lust potion.

Unless you mean literally any other kind of potion? In which case I would recommend either The Nutty Professor or Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

bizarroland@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 294d (4 replies)

I mean, it could also be a "like" potion.

You drink the potion and everyone you meet just kind of likes you.

Of course, if it goes wrong, then everyone you meet likes you a little bit too much. And that's when you would need that restraining order potion sprunt mentioned.

MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io · 4 pts · 294d (3 replies)

If it was a “like” potion, then it wouldn’t be a “love” potion.

Ziglin@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 294d (2 replies)

It could be a "like like" potion.

MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io · 2 pts · 293d

And if it were disguised as a “like” potion it would be a like look-alike like-like potion.

emmanuel_car@fedia.io · 2 pts · 294d

Is that where these guys come from?

MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io · 9 pts · 293d (1 reply)

I mean… romantic love is usually the first type of love that comes to mind when you say the word “love”, but it would be interesting to other types of love represented.

  • potion of Broth/sist-erhood
  • potion of Filial Love
  • potion of Ride or Die
  • potion of Make Momma Proud
  • potion of Go Get’em, Tiger!
  • potion of BFF’s Forever!
  • potion of Fanaticism
  • potion of Fascination
  • potion of Simpage
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 293d

In Chinese, 父爱 (fatherly love) and 母爱 (motherly love) are like one of the top 5 terms that comes to mind when the term 爱 is mentioned.

My parent's never say the term 爱, instead, they say 錫/惜 (wikitionary definition: to cherish; to adore; to value greatly; to love dearly), which, in Cantonese at least, is a supposedly endearing way a parent express love for their children (I think?)

Imagine some parent using a potion of "Must be a A+ student to make parents proud" and like you just get mind-controlled into studying all night and skipping video games lmfao.

Or the reverse, a potion of "Mommy pls love me more", and the parent spoils the child and buys them anything they ask.

Treczoks@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 293d (1 reply)

That variant is called "date rape drug".

DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 293d

I didn't even think of this when I posted this, but I get like 5 of these comments... 💀

IWW4@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 293d (8 replies)

A non-romantic version?

You mean potions that kill you?

There are called poisons.

Or do you mean a potion that just lets you fuck the person?

They are called rufies.

ArtVandelay@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 293d (7 replies)

I think they meant a platonic love portion.

IWW4@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 293d (4 replies)

Ahhh so a potion that makes someone your friend?

Options

  • Alcohol
  • Marajuana
  • Cocaine
Brutticus@midwest.social · 2 pts · 293d

This man is a poet

aufbau161@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 0 pts · 293d (2 replies)

all of your "alternatives" (here and above) make it sound like any love potion (even the "romantic" ones) are in any form consensual and not abusive by nature…

IWW4@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 293d (1 reply)

I am not making any statements about the moral implications of these things. I am just letting the OP that what he is asking for already exists.

aufbau161@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 293d

than sorry about that, to me it seemed like there being a romantic version implied that it was a morally sound version (which always needs consent just to be sure here)

RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 293d

Beer.

Brutticus@midwest.social · 2 pts · 293d

My assumption is that friendship is a lot easier to initiate and maintain. Limmerence, especially, is a lot of anxiety about how the person feels and if I could only make them see the depth of my feelings and am I what they want. The kind of thing that a specific kind of person wishes for magic for.

bluGill@fedia.io · 6 pts · 293d (1 reply)

Anti love potions exist and have been regularly used since before recorded history. We call the poison.

DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 293d

Romeo and Juliet was too obsessively into love, so they had to take some anti-love potions to calm down a bit.

They seem pretty calm now.

Happily ever after. 🤗

frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 293d

Because humans are really, really hung up about sex in general, and we make it complicated. The idea of a potion that cuts right through all the bullshit sounds pretty good to just about everyone at some point in their lives.

Pencilnoob@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 293d

friendzone potion, you give it to someone crushing on you or hates you to turn them around. Some might argue showing up with beer / weed is a friendzone potion.

FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 293d

In Harry Potter, Voldemort's mother used love potion on Voldemort's father and he left after the spell wore off

arin@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 293d

We have an issue with date rape drugs here in USA. Its street name is roofie. Rohypnol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_rape_drug

Aka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flunitrazepam

Usually combined with alcohol to make a non-romantic potion

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 293d

it's weird how love potions are the fairy tale equivalent of rohypnol.

Simulation6@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 293d

Does the drug the voodoo practitioner gives to their zombies count as a submissive potion?

Goretantath@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 294d

You mean like the story around its use being non romantic?? There's tons like that. Otherwise idk what you are asking..

NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 294d (1 reply)

They’re called “ruthies”.

remon@ani.social · 4 pts · 294d

No .. they're called "roofies".

lemmie689@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 294d (1 reply)

When I was young there were some pretty wild stories about spanish fly that weren't very romantic.

blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 293d

Due to Cantharidin being toxic?

Darkcoffee@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 293d

Rick Potion #9

uhmbah@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 293d

Like, Viagra?