what does the concept of love mean to you?

Question

what does it mean to you? Do you believe it can change people? does it mean different things to different people?

Answer 1

Romantic love is a temporary collapse of ego boundaries, wherein two people relate to each other in a fashion similar to what occurs between an infant and it's parent. In this state people are seeing the world through the proverbial "rose colored glasses." There is no "world" outside of the world that exists between the couple. Problems disappear, money doesn't matter, and "love conquers all." This lasts until the egos reassert themselves, and reality becomes "real" again. At this point, the problems return and the real WORK of loving someone begins, for contrary to popular belief, loving someone IS work. That's not to say that it shouldn't feel good, but in a realistic sense, real love doesn't just manifest out of "thin air." Lust, however, does.

The "love" between blood relations is a bit different because DNA is involved. We are instinctively predisposed toward caring about our parents, our siblings, our aunts, uncles, cousins and especially, our offspring. This is purely genetic, as blood relatives carry a percentage of our DNA, and therefore their survival is in our genetic best interest. If they go on, part of us goes on. Hence the term "blood is thicker than water." In a sense, we almost have no choice in loving our relatives.

Loving pets is similar to the love we feel for children, and while animals play no direct part in the propagation of our DNA, they can often aid our survival with their unconditional companionship, loyalty, and protection. In some ways, it's often easier to love an animal than a human because most people have not developed psychological defense mechanisms against animals. Animals generally don't hurt our feelings in childhood.

Loving friends is another kind of "love", which is usually derived from shared experience, adversity or goals. This is often a more tenuous kind of love, since there is usually some ulterior motivation underlying the love/friendship.

Then there are the abstract kinds of love, such as love for the planet, or a car, or a fine wine, or humanity, or a deity.

All these sorts of "love" have the power to change people, just as all emotions do. Most people will claim their ideas of love are different from everyone else's, but the truth is, love, for the most part, is just a series of chemical reactions which are non-distinct from person to person. As the understanding of brain chemistry progresses, it will probably become possible for scientists to cause people to feel "love" simply by introducing a certain kind of drug, or a particular neurotransmitter.

If all this is too much for you, you can try this quote on for size.

"When we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love "
- Robert Fulghum

Answer 2

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I don't know what love is. Poets have spent centuries trying to put it in words. I think it is just a feeling or maybe a chemical response in our brains that we have decided to call love.

I know I sound like a total downer, but really think about it. I love my mom, my boyfriend, my son, apple pie. What is it that makes it different with each one? Is it a different form a love? I have no idea...lol Maybe it is just something else and has nothing to do with love at all. I am beginning to think love and hate are the same emotion.

Answer 3

Love is Aloha, it is power, it is Hello and goodbye, it is the only enduring motivation that has the power to truly change people, and the world. Love is an active effort to support, sustain, help and comfort. Love heals and uplifts. There is no pride or conceit in love, it is humble and undefiled. There is no lust in love, there no braggery, self-indulgence, nor vaunting. Love is simply the most pure emotion guiding the best things that we do for one another. Most of all, love is a reality that no one can deny.

Answer 4

Love hurts.