Your thoughts on 'Love'

[Little Woodsman]

I've said it before, I'm sure I'll say it again.
Love is when the happiness and well being of another person are more important to you than your own.

 

[Zombie Sodomy]

I think that pretty much covers it.

 

[lacktheknack]

Must... resist... obvious... Bible... passage...

Actually, my views on love are so affected by my religion that there's pretty much nothing I can say on the matter that won't get me jumped. All you need to know is that I think it's a thing, and it's a hell of a thing that I couldn't go without.

 

[Yopaz]

But what is 'love'? A release of Chemicals evolutionarily designed to create a strong emotional bond between partners?

Yes. But unlike people would have you believe, that doesn't make it any less treasured.

Thank you! Evolution has yielded a series of chemicals that make us reproduce. Just the improbability of this happening is more amazing than any magic or sentient being having caused this. Also the fact that love is just a series of cell signaling really doesn't make it any different than the pain you feel when you stub your toe or burn your finger on a stove top.

In conclusion, love is a response to certain external stimuli causing internal cell communication creating several physical and psychological sensations. Evolution is awesome.

 

[Spinozaad]

It's a physiological phenomenon, it's a psychological thing and a social construct, all at the same time. Of course, that's what scientists think of love when they're not in love/how they think of other people's experience of love.

It's weird, amazing and both cruel, if you ask me.

 

[Klumpfot]

It's one of Strapping Young Lad's catchiest songs, and one of my favourites of theirs! As for the concept it mocks, it seems to me to be entirely evolutionary in origin. Devote yourself to your partner and your hatchlings have a greater chance to thrive by virtue of having two entities to take care of it instead of one.

That only makes it marginally less magical and special, though!

 

[Kolby Jack]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Loves

Nobody can be happy without love, but exactly what kind of love is needed varies from person to person. Moreover, some people have a greater need to BE loved, while others have a greater need to express love, but generally all of us both need to be loved and need to express love to be satisfied. A life with no love is no life at all.

But this topic seems to be more about romantic love, which I'm not terribly experienced in, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

But what is 'love'? A release of Chemicals evolutionarily designed to create a strong emotional bond between partners?

Yes. But unlike people would have you believe, that doesn't make it any less treasured.

Very much agreed.

I've never understood the whole "it's just chemicals" thing. I mean, yes, it's absolutely true, but everything is just chemicals. Or energy. Seems like someone who legitimately believed that something just being chemicals made it not matter wouldn't be talking about it.

 

[Artemis923]

Love is a disease that corrupts hearts and crushes souls. It is an all consuming cancer whose only cure is the temporary relief of another's affection.

 

[piinyouri]

I don't know why I'm shocked to see so much cynicism on the internet.
You like someone, you want to hang around them.
You like them enough, you want to hang around them for as long as you can.

There's not really any 'magic' involved, so I'm not sure what people are mocking here.

Bah, I probably shouldn't even be posting here.

 

[The_Echo]

Huh, this thread feels familiar.

I think love is the creator and destroyer of worlds. Beauty and horror entwined in a terrible glory that few find in its truest form.

A power beyond full comprehension, a life within life.

Oh hey, there's my answer!

 

[JemothSkarii]

It's an experience that can make or break you. Find the wrong person, you can get lured in and they have access to where you're most vulnerable. Once they break that, even the strongest person will need time. But if you find the right one for you, you'll experience a happiness like nothing else. Your inside will feel vibrant, every thought of that person makes you smile, you can start to miss them so badly after an hour.

Even if it's simply chemicals, a mechanism to help us breed, it's worth experiencing at least once...though granted, when you're brokenhearted it does not seem that way.

 

[Stasisesque]

I've said it before, I'm sure I'll say it again.
Love is when the happiness and well being of another person are more important to you than your own.

I agree with this statement above others. It covers platonic and romantic love, while so many of these replies seem to focus solely on romantic.

 

[Scarecrow]

Love solves everything!~

 

[Epic Bear Man]

It's both the most wonderful and hurtful thing that exists, to say the least. When you have it, it's by far the most amazing feeling a person can have.

When you lose it, it's by far one of the most painful things to ever feel.

 

[King Billi]

I believe love of any kind is just one shade shy of hate.

Seriously its amazing how often they can be mistaken for each other.

 

[Dave In A Cape]

Love can be great but also devastating.

I was in love for the best part of 3 and a half years with this amazing girl who I adored but she tore my heart out and threw it away like it was nothing. I'm grateful for the good times while they lasted and I wouldn't trade them for the world, they ended up helping shape the person who I am now and as much as I actually dislike myself, I am who I am and I will make no apologies for that.

But when you're heart is broken, there is no greater pain, emotional or physical and it can lead you to do some stupid things. (Speaking as the voice of experience)

In the end, real, actual love is an amazing experience when it's returned to you and you'll cherish every moment of it.
The downside is that for all the good it can make you feel, you risk being hurt in ways more painful than you can imagine and the pain will last for a very long time, maybe the pain won't ever leave.

But is it worth the risk? Yes.

 

[piinyouri]

I believe love of any kind is just one shade shy of hate.

Seriously its amazing how often they can be mistaken for each other.

I agree.
Back in high school I used to say "Love and hate are different sides of the same coin" just to sound all cool and learned.
I never realized how right I was.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

Love is a battlefield, the kind of battlefield that fields no united armies and is not fought with strength, where everyone has their own fortress that they must learn to bring down, where victory begets you no gold or glory yet something of tremendous value.

Fortune favours the audacious.

 

[pierre666lol]

"Love is merely a madness" - William Shakespeare

Love is at the same time a beautiful and horible thing, just enjoy it for what it is.