To think you can’t love a partner unconditionally?

[MermaidTailUnicornHorn]

With children yes.

But with a partner, I don’t believe that love no matter how strong can be unconditional.

Agreed. Its highly conditional. If you hit me disrespect me etc then you're gone.

Yes, I agree. It’s highly conditional with a partner. I know someone who had that they would love their partner unconditionally in their wedding vows and I thought eek I hope not!

Agreed. Any abusive behaviour would kill my feelings and cause me to not love them any more.

I don’t think I’d love my child if they committed a terrible crime on another individual.

With infatuation it can, perhaps. And I can see how some people muddle up the two. God knows I did it - supported one through drugs and alcohol, even when he hit me and cheated on me; another through his narcissistic shit that never once thought to ask how I was. It's easy enough if you're not seeing them that often or if it's new, for example. It's more a fantasy/trying to make it into a relationship.

But an actual relationship, where you have to live with their foibles and set boundaries for yourself, YANBU!!!

I don’t think I’d love my child if they committed a terrible crime on another individual

I think some people would though. Hard to predict how you would react/feel until you were actually in that situation.

Absolutely not. When someone does, I think that they have some sort of issues.

Even a Adult child doing something horrific, can alter how you feel about them.

I don’t think I’d love my child if they committed a terrible crime on another individual

It's hard to judge this until you are in that position. I guess you would love them but not like them at all?

Kids and animals are the only beings I can love unconditionally.

I don't know.

I might still love him if he treated me badly, but that's not to say I would stay with him.

So you can love unconditionally, but the staying is conditional.

I think some people think they do but it is generally very unhealthy and not real love IMO but more akin to obsession. I know a woman who still very much thought she loved a man who was sent to jail for trying to kill her. A woman at my Gran's church has stood by her husband even after he was caught doing one of those things where A child in a 3rd world country is abused online to order.

I think that has more to do with brainwashing than genuine love.

itsme made a good point - infatuation is different.

But normal love/relationship is highly conditional.

I only love my children unconditionally ( and yes even if they committed a terrible crime)
All other relationships, romantic and otherwise as well as family of origin are conditional as they should be

Unconditional love exists BUT I don't think it is common for humans to experience it.

Many people think they love their partner unconditionally, but then how many times can you accept their infidelity, their assaults upon you, their attacks on your children, before "enough is enough"?

Even with a child, a person has a breaking point. You might love your child even if they grow up to be a violent paedophile, but at some point their actions would begin to disgust even you. Every time they re-offended, every time their offences got worse, sooner or later you will be sickened.

Only a (very) few humans truly display unconditional love. We are inherently selfish as a species - that is how we have thrived, how we have dominated every other species on the planet. "Unconditional love" usually means "unconditional as long for as you remain the perfect partner for me in my eyes."