If he is anything like me then he probably felt love for him from the moment he laid eyes on him. He doesn't love him because of his mind of what it thinks.
The easiest way for me to describe it is with the following.
CTL = gamma * LDI + alpha * LDR
Where gamma and alpha are coefficients that vary from person to person.
CTL = Current total love
LDI = Love due to instinct
LDR = Love due to reason
This would mean that even if LDR= 0, LDI can be greater than zero, which is what happens with a newborn child. If LDR, however, is highly negative, the CTL equation can be dominated by the LDR term. This results an a low or even negative CTL the LDR term effectively nullifying the LDI term.
Would a parent stop loving their child because they find out their child is mentally retarded?
No, if the child were mentally retarded the parent will likely not stop loving them - LDR would still probably be slightly positive and LDI would remain high.
Would they love them less?
Yes, a mentally retarded child has less CTL potential than a normal one because LDR will stay relatively low. So a parent will likely love them less. I know its not P.C. to say that, but I think its true.
An interesting note here is that the maximum possible CTL would be with a young child (like age 2-6) or a new romantic interest due to simultaneously high LDI and LDR components.
In the case of the child, before the child is 5, LDI is high, but LDR would likely remain low. However, once the child starts getting older LDR will increase. Eventually LDI will begin to drop off creating a maximum.
In the case of the new romance, the potential for LDI and LDR are also both very high.
