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Hi, I was reading trough elves of golarion and I couldn't put my finger on how do elves perceive love and romance. After a few brainstorms I came up with a theory that elves just as with friendship, honor and religion have a special standard.
A typical chaotic elf, prone to mood switching, living in the present/past but not with both at the same time, is quite eager to flirt with character he likes or those that invoke pleasant feelings (memories) even though he probably doesn't realise, at the moment, what memories were being summoned by those feelings.
In addition, the teachings of Calistra, who is considered to carry the pure core of elven spirit, state that those who worship her and follow her tennents should avoid long term commitment and lto live only for the pleasures of the present time without planning for the future, therefor it would be logical to consider elven lovers, not very committed to the relationship.
I would also consider that they quickly go with the mood of their emotions rather than figure out the consequences of falling for their new partner.
But going back to the 2 most stable and adamant aspects of elven culture which are honor and friendship, it would be wise to see true love, with a partner you will never leave, as equal to those big two.
Please discuss.
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In my own campaigns, at least I have made the elven lifespan the cornerstone of their culture. They seem closer to nature because they know if they start logging recklessly or overhunting game in a region, it isn't going to be their grandchildren, or even their children, who must face the consequences - it's going to be them. By the same token, this lifespan would color the elven cycology. Divorces aren't exaclty uncommon in contemporary culture, and I think in most cases it's either because people rush into something or because of the fact that people tend to change over the years. We see it in relationships between humans who live for mabe 80 years. Just imagine the sort of changes an elf goes through in their lifetime. They live through many of them, and they see their friends and relatives become entirely different people - several times - throughout their lives. I would imagine they would take a much more open approach to love and relationships because they understand that it's simply not feasible to expect to feel the same way about a person in 250 years as you do now. This approach simply seems right and natural to them, but it is seen as being rather promiscuous by shorter lived societies.