LV never loved anyone

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 110425

SSSusan wrote :
> > "*If* I'm right, Voldy must have decided he wasn't even 
> > interested in love--wouldn't allow himself to be interested in 
> > love--told himself it does nothing but make a wizard WEAK.... "
 
Del replies :
> But SSSusan, can you *really* imagine a little boy, say 6 or 9 
> years old, not loving or caring for *anyone* or anything ?!?
> 
> I simply cannot imagine a *normal* little boy, no matter how harsh 
> his life conditions might be, not caring for anything, and not 
> having affection for anyone. <snip>  ...normal kids can NOT 
> prevent themselves from loving.


SSSusan:
Good ages to give me, Del, as I have an 8-year-old and an almost-6-
year-old. :-)  I know it *is* hard to imagine them not showing love 
for anyone, because my two are very loving kinds of kids (esp. the 
6yo), but they're "normal kids".  I think, though, that we simply 
can't ignore the studies that tonks & Pam pointed us to concerning 
children in hands-off/little-interaction orphanages.  (My BS and MA 
degrees are in psych/counseling, so I've heard of these studies, 
too.)  They show that, while terribly sad, yes, it is possible that 
these children can show no attachment, empathy or bond to another 
whatsoever.

**BUT**, I'd like to go back to what I said in my first response to 
your first post in this thread.  Here's what I said then:  "*I* took 
what JKR said as meaning that Tom, once capable/old enough/able to 
choose, never *chose* to love another."

While I would argue that it is possible for a child, esp. one in 
Tom's situation, to not feel love for another, my idea really works 
best if I've grasped JKR's meaning correctly: never as a cognizant 
individual.  If I'm wrong and she truly meant "never" going all the 
way back to his birth, then I'm not sure what I think. 

Siriusly Snapey Susan