Part II of my project: What is love to YOU?

[williu]

Well, the old thread - Can Love be planned - was a success for me.

Now I need help from you guys again!

What is love? What does love mean to you?

Again, whenever possible, please give me something I can quote, your first name, age and location in the world.

Thank you guys and gals, I really appreciate any answers!

Also, I'd like to put in some lovey-dovey quotes among the many cynical ones, so if you have a lovey-dovey worldview, please share

[misombra]

how much will we be getting paid for this?

[Gribble]

Love is a load of bull. Read Rome & Juliet, the seminal love story. Two young kids meet. Instantly fall madly in love. Marry so they can screw. That's all love is. A quick flash of emotion. A few months later that emotion's gone and you either move on and continue enjoying your life or you give up on ever feeling love again so you can conform to what society deems appropriate.

[Junket]

This is a question I'm never comfortable answering.

Mostly because I don't have an answer.

- Choi
- 21
- USA

[Mrs. Bubbles]

Love is a feeling. Its different for everyone.

[williu]

Love is a feeling. Its different for everyone.

Exactly, hence "what is love to YOU

[LoveTwist]

Love is a load of bull. Read Rome & Juliet, the seminal love story. Two young kids meet. Instantly fall madly in love. Marry so they can screw. That's all love is. A quick flash of emotion. A few months later that emotion's gone and you either move on and continue enjoying your life or you give up on ever feeling love again so you can conform to what society deems appropriate.

Yeah most of the tme love sucks and its so mixed up with lust you can hardly tell the difference.
However, not all love is a quick flash of the imagination. Love can be long lasting too.

williu you wanted a lovey dovey view of love and this is the closest you're going to get from me -

"Love is an extremely complex series of neurochemical reactions in the brain. This is why love can be experienced in so many different ways, both by different people and even by the same person."

-LoveTwist
-20
-UK

From a more personal stand point I know that love can last. My parents are a prime example, - Met in high school, started going out, a few years later got married and have been very happily married every since. Nearly 40 years together now and still going strong. Amazing.

They very rarely argue and even when they do its over very trivial things and they're like best of friends. That’s why I think it worked out for them so well because they've always been best of friends. So when the passion levels drop they'll still have friendship to fall back on. I really do think that makes a difference when it comes to love.

I think if you add friendship to the equation, then the chances that it will last are significantly increased. So if you are looking for something that'll be long lasting always go for the friendship first. Also gives you a chance to test out your compatibility before you buy, if you like.

[Tiay]

love is not an emotion or a feeling- it is a drive much like hunger or sex. And of course, drives cause emotions and feelings. I find the science of romantic love fascinating- the chemicals, the hormones, etc. But I don't think this de-values it. Why should you have to believe that love is something ethereal and divine to see it's beauty? Why does looking at something closer to see it's inner workings make it less magical? You shouldn't and it doesn't. It's not like it's a card trick and once you know how it works you'll loose interest!
To me, love is when I would die for someone, think of them every waking moment, and when I couldn't stop loving that person even if I wanted to.

H.W.
20
Ireland

[LoveTwist]

love is not an emotion or a feeling- it is a drive much like hunger or sex. And of course, drives cause emotions and feelings. I find the science of romantic love fascinating- the chemicals, the hormones, etc. But I don't think this de-values it. Why should you have to believe that love is something ethereal and divine to see it's beauty? Why does looking at something closer to see it's inner workings make it less magical? You shouldn't and it doesn't. It's not like it's a card trick and once you know how it works you'll loose interest!

Couldn't agree more!! That’s exactly the sort of thing I usually say actually. Is good to there are people out there who looks at the Universe with as much wonder, fascination and curiosity of me!!! Science is the way forward, always has been and always will be.

But you’re completely right it doesn’t change the wonder, if anything once you start to explore the intricacies of something then it only becomes more complex and mysterious. Take the atom, once we split the atom all kinds of bizarre and initially inexplicable things burst out. The same is true of love in many ways. The more you explore the biochemical reactions behind love the more amazing it becomes.

[Tiay]

Yeah! People often think i'm cynical about love just because of that. But it's not like that.

[LoveTwist]

Yeah! People often think i'm cynical about love just because of that. But it's not like that.

Yeah I get that too, though I confess sometimes can be cynical, but most of the time I just like explanations for things. We seem to have pretty similar views on this you and I. High 5!

[anachronistic]

"love is the ability to not be able to describe love."

this is a quote by me, and also the title of an essay i wrote. so if you don't quote me, you're plagiarizing.

nathan, south dakota, age 18

[enterprise]

Love is the feeling you have towards someone that just makes you light-up and cheery in the worst of times with the smallest thought.
-Joseph, 15, Ontario

[bluesummer]

I have a different view, and it may sound cynical to some, but it is based on experience.

I think love, in its the truest and purest form, exists rarely in the romantic sense. 'Romantic love' is a byproduct of its portrayal in the media, hormones, and people's need to feel 'wanted'. Love for me exists only between my oldest friends, and my family. When I look at my niece and nephew playing, I feel real happiness, and know that I would die for them, and that no matter what they did I would love them til the day I die.....that will never change. Romantic partnerships are always fallible.

Im not saying its impossible to find love with a romantic partner, but I believe those who have found 'true' love are very few and far between. True love goes beyond the mushy crap and has its basis in a solid friendship and mutual respect. It transcends the physical.

Nina, 27
Vancouver, Canada

[Gigabitch]

^^^ This is why we love Nina.