Love

[Akans]

So... I've been thinking. What is Love? Scientifically, its a chemical reaction between hormones in your body that does stuff.
But that's not what I mean.
What is love? Its the same thing as consciousness, it is invisible and intangible, but is all-important in humans.

An interesting thing my English teacher mentioned when we were studying Romeo and Juliet - Love stimulates the same parts of the brain as do drugs like cocaine. So that explains why its hard to get your mind off the boy/girl you like, but what caused you to like them in the first place?

[Elegant Esthetics]

Love is an emotion, which is controlled by some part of the brain. It used to be thought that it came from the need for reproduction, but then you bring along the homosexuality factor. They can't reproduce, which totally slaps science in the face.

[Raticus]

One could say that the natural evolution of our species would allow us to grasp the concept of "love". Humans, as well as the primates that we evolved from are highly social animals. In some circumstances, the survival of an individual would be dependant on a group working together or social interaction that would satisfy everyone's needs or wants. Over time, and with the increased capacity of our brains, this survival tactic of strength in numbers could very well be the reason why some feel ill at ease without some form of companionship.

[Akans]

True, but that does not explain why there is an explicit attraction to a single person (hopefully), rather than to everyone, and why people believe in "true love". Surely need for companionship does not explain fully the concept of love. Other primates, for example, live in societies and communities, but they breed out of need, rather than for any special attraction for a member of the opposite gender.

[Pelafina]

Love is one of those unexplainable things. The best way to explain it logically is that humans feel the need to be more sophisticated then animals. Sex is seen as animalistic, so we created love to make it possible to have sex and be above the animals all at once. Otherwise, I have no idea.

[Akans]

Sex is seen as animalistic, so we created love to make it possible to have sex and be above the animals all at once. Otherwise, I have no idea.

That would be true, BUT a lot of relationships have been born not out of sex, but out of genuine like for the other person. To say that you like someone only to have sex with them is not love, but lust.

And if you say that love is an emotion, that would be all well and good, until you think about where that emotion comes from. And how long love lasts. Anger and happiness dissipates after time, why not love? True, couples do not love each other with the same intensity as the day they were married after twenty years, but they don't ditch each other and find someone else, to "renew" the love.

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by Akans

That would be true, BUT a lot of relationships have been born not out of sex, but out of genuine like for the other person. To say that you like someone only to have sex with them is not love, but lust.

After thousands of years, and being taught this since we were born, it's become more of an emotion. I was just talking about how it started.

Originally Posted by Akans

Anger and happiness dissipates after time, why not love? True, couples do not love each other with the same intensity as the day they were married after twenty years, but they don't ditch each other and find someone else, to "renew" the love.

Comfort. You stick with what you're familiar with.

The chemicals that create the physical aspect of love last about eighteen months.

[Akans]

Comfort. You stick with what you're familiar with.

The chemicals that create the physical aspect of love last about eighteen months.

Depends on what you define love. Love for the sake of their looks (i.e. She/He looks hot, I want to ask him/her out) can last from 6 - 18 months, I think.
Love for the sake of love, as in, mutual and selfless love, not lust, can last much longer, especially when the two have occasional contact, but not continous, nor scarce.
Of course, if you asked someone out cuz they were good looking, and then found out they were an ass, the relationship would not last long, no matter how strong the evolutionary urge.

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by Akans

Love for the sake of love, as in, mutual and selfless love, not lust, can last much longer, especially when the two have occasional contact, but not continuous, nor scarce.

At that point it's companionship, more then love.

Originally Posted by Akans

not lust

Physical communication is as pivotal to a relationship as anything else.

Originally Posted by Akans

Of course, if you asked someone out cuz they were good looking, and then found out they were an ass, the relationship would not last long, no matter how strong the evolutionary urge.

It would serve the evolutionary purpose of reproduction.

[Akans]

At that point it's companionship, more then love.

So... explain to me the difference between companionship and love?

Physical communication is as pivotal to a relationship as anything else.

True, hugging and kissing are physical. But lust is wanting something to reach a goal (in this case, satisfaction). Love, while it does include the more extremes of physical communication, does not center around it, as does lust.

Sex is seen as animalistic, so we created love to make it possible to have sex and be above the animals all at once.

And I wish to go back to this point - did we create love? Or is love something that we have no control over? Because if you say that love is a form for humans to reproduce, why don't people go around and have sex with anyone they meet? Granted in today's society, that would be slightly awkward, but why are you faithful to that one person, and that one person only? Would it not be more practical to have more than one boy/girlfriend, to increase the chance of your DNA being passed on?

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by Akans

So... explain to me the difference between companionship and love?

Love is roughly the same, but lacks a physical/ chemical desire.

Originally Posted by Akans

True, hugging and kissing are physical. But lust is wanting something to reach a goal (in this case, satisfaction). Love, while it does include the more extremes of physical communication, does not center around it, as does lust.

A relationship is not healthy without the physical. That plays at least as large a role as the emotional and mental portions.

Originally Posted by Akans

And I wish to go back to this point - did we create love? Or is love something that we have no control over?

We created a need for love, is a good way to put it. We couldn't go around having sex with everyone, that would put us to close to the animals. The mind in man's one real advantage over animals, so we needed [need] to flaunt it. So, to become more 'sophisticated', we created this need for companionship [love], and there you go. Interestingly enough though, we defy natural selection by doing so- mass sex would produce more children, thus further insuring the survival of humanity as a species.

[InfiniteTwilight]

An interesting thing my English teacher mentioned when we were studying Romeo and Juliet - Love stimulates the same parts of the brain as do drugs like cocaine. So that explains why its hard to get your mind off the boy/girl you like, but what caused you to like them in the first place?

We're studying Romeo and Juliet too. Topic of love came up during a Journal discussion.

Here's my philosophy, love is an aesthetic need. It's an emotion involving strong affection, deep concern, and respect. It doesn't always have to involve couples, it can involve family members like how a mother loves her children. It's sort of like a strong value of someone or a deep connection with someone. To love, to me, means not caring what a person looks like, who they are, where they came from, etc., you just have a strong value/connection with them.

Romeo and Juliet was just crazy. From life to death in what? Five days. And it was just love at first sight. And love a first sight is sometimes just from sexual attraction unless it builds into something else eventually.

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

We're studying Romeo and Juliet too.

The amusing thing about this was that, not only did they only know one another for five days, but he was fifteen and she was around twelve.

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

It doesn't always have to involve couples, it can involve family members like how a mother loves her children.

True, that has been neglected in this thread.

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

To love, to me, means not caring what a person looks like, who they are, where they came from, etc., you just have a strong value/connection with them.

But don't you need to care about those things to have that connection?

You can't ignore someone for 'what a person looks like, who they are, where they came from', otherwise you're in love with a large piece of living flesh, not a person.

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

And love a first sight is almost always just from sexual attraction unless it builds into something else eventually.

I fixed that part of your post for you.

[InfiniteTwilight]

The amusing thing about this was that, not only did they only know one another for five days, but he was fifteen and she was around twelve.

Seriously, what was up with that? That same night they start talking about marriage. O.o

But don't you need to care about those things to have that connection?

You can't ignore someone for 'what a person looks like, who they are, where they came from', otherwise you're in love with a large piece of living flesh, not a person.

Well, I guess looks shouldn't really matter is what I meant. Personality/commanlity (just made that word up) comes in too and looks sorta come in too, but not the whole "smokin hot body" or things likes that. Old people could be married for years while becoming all wrinkly (or not) and all that stuff, but still love each other after all that time, looks not mattering. Meh.

I fixed that part of your post for you.

*shrugs* Mehe.

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

Seriously, what was up with that? That same night they start talking about marriage. O.o

Hey this was the old days, back in the old country.

Originally Posted by InfiniteTwilight

Personality/commanlity (just made that word up) comes in too and looks sorta come in too, but not the whole "smokin hot body" or things likes that.

I see what you're saying, the physical attraction should eventually give way to an emotional attachment and companionship with that person.