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What did Stendhal mean by crystallization in On Love?
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Stendhal
Stendhal, oil painting by Pierre-Joseph Dedreux-Dorcy; in the BibliothĂšque Municipale de Grenoble, France.
In his 1822 philosophical discourse On Love, the French author Stendhal defines "crystallization" as a psychological process within the stages of love.
During this stage, the lover begins to attribute all types of perfection to the beloved, effectively idealizing them. This concept is part of Stendhalâs broader analysis of passion, which he considered the finest form of love.1