what is love? and how do you know if you in love?

Answer 1

Yikes. If we could really come up with a certain way to know, we'd all be just fine in our love lives....I guess.....I dunno, maybe when you start caring about the other person more than you do yourself... Turk on the TV show Scrubs had some interesting lines about that. He told Carla something to the effect of "When I look at you, I see minivans, kids, soccer, a house, an I am not scared of all that" Meaning that he saw someone to build a life with, be a good mother to his children, etc, and he wasn't afraid of taking on all that responsibility with her by his side, as he might be if it were someone else...
The light headed, twirly butterflies in the stomach floating around business passes, and very quickly, really. The love is what is left when all that is over with, and you still want to be together.

Answer 2

1 Corinthians 13
Love Is the Greatest
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

This IS the truth about Love. Nothing in this world could describe love better than this. Remember having sex outside of marriage isn't love, love is patient and waiting until marriage.

Answer 3

What an excellent question! An age old one at that! The Bible describes true love in 1 Corinthians this way:

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
NIV

That clearly is a description of perfect love. But who of us is perfect, right? But I feel that the more of these qualities you find in a relationship, the more it is likely to be the true love that you are looking for.

I am a 52 year old male, twice married, once to an unfaithful woman, and currently to the most faithful woman on the planet. So I can speak from some experience. The funny thing is, the marriage that seemed to be near perfect was the one that failed. My current marriage got off to a very rocky start, but has proved itself to be made of true and genuine love. So, the Bible is certainly right when it says, "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

My failed marriage was doomed due to poor comunication. Feelings were kept hidden without my noticing it.

My successful marriage is full of communication! Sometimes that communication has been very difficult. Sometimes it was nothing but a yelling match. Sometimes it was hurtful and caused tears. But it was communication!!! And that, my friend is the key! Don't assume that because things aren't smoothe sailing that you're in the wrong relationship. Give it time and with communication, you'll love what blossoms from it! But if it is constant rough sailing with no sign of improvement, you may be in the wrong relationship.

As far as KNOWING when you're in love.... It's much easier to know when you are not. And unfortunately, you usually know when you're not after you thought you were! In other words, You don't know what you don't want untill after you get it! You have to be wrong a few times before you know what's right.

But be true to yourself. If you have to put on a show, that ain't love. You'll know when you're in love when you've found the other half of you. You'll know when you're in love when you know every bad thing about a person and can't help but still love them anyway. And likewise, you'll know when a person loves you when they know all your bad stuff and yet they still love you! It's funny how true this is...yet we always try to put on our best when we want to be loved.

Well, I hope this helped. If it sounds confusing, it's because that's what love is...confusing! But when you find it...it's awesome! I hope you find the love that fulfills and endures all things. Good luck!

Answer 4

Love is a biochemical cost-benefit computation processed by the neurons of the brain. The cost is calculated in terms of the energy required to maintain such a relationship as opposed to the benefits, which are determined by one's genetic components as influenced by one's upbringing. For example, some find more benefit in a person who needs much support than one who does not -- such a nurturer would be unlikely to 'love' a self-supporting and self-confident individual; there would be no benefit given from the energy invested.

Symptoms of this emotional state include increased capilary circulation (blushing), accelerated heart rate (hypertachya), sweating, and in some cases, psychosexual arousal. Associated emotions are often nervousness, desire, attraction, and lust.

Answer 5

Love is acceptance, peace, tolerance, kindness, patience, forgiveness.... Love is overcoming the need to control and change things.

Answer 6

Both parties build each other up, and can deal with all the bad things that happens (along with the characteristics and habits of the other).

Answer 7

love to me is the conter point that you see in another. i think that you know when you have it when you feel so alive with the person you are with. and if he/she makesd you feel like a whole nother person.

Answer 8

I think of love as being happy in your loved one's happiness, sad in their sadness, etc, and.being there for them in all things, no matter what.

Answer 9

I look at him and I know that he makes my life so much more wonderful and special. I enjoy spending time with him.

Answer 10

love:
Then said Almitra, speak to us of Love.
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you , follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked. He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assign you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become fragment of Life’s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world there you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your treas.
Love gives naught but itself and take naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
When you love you should not say God is in my heart
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has not other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and belike a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
And to bleed willingly and joyfully .
To wake at dawn with a winged heard and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.