»
Discussion
»
Philosophy 101
»
What is love?
| Philosophy 101 |
|
What is love? |
|
|
AngelDust Junior Member
since 2000-03-08
Posts 30Minnesota |
First off, I must just say that I'm very, very happy to have finaly joined Passions. I've been just visting and viewing posts without responding. Alright, the big question... What is love? I know that many have been hurt by love, include myself, so that why do people keep looking for love? Is it the sheer fact that people do not want to be alone? Or is it something much more deeper? Well, your thoughts would be appriciated! Thank You, -Angel- |
||
| © Copyright 2000 Jeff Moen - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
StarrGazer Senior Member
since 2000-03-05
Posts 679Texas |
Hmmmmm I think you will find the definition of love will vary from person to person and at most times even be unexplainable love just is ? Well anyway I can tell you what love is to me .... Love... that unconditional feeling between a parent and a child Always understanding, even when they get a little wild Guidance and discipline, teaching wrong from right The knowing when to let go, but never losing site Love... that mystical magical thing that makes your head spin The roller coaster of emotions, wondering when you'll see them again A natural high, like floating on air Knowing someone loves you and will be there Love... That deep bond that binds us together as friends Knowing someone will be there when all the good times end To comfort us, and help us through Saying loudly without a word, I'll be here for you and quiet honestly that is not even a good definition love is kind of all encompassing and there either were not enough words created to describe it and describing it would take more than a mortals life time and you'd end up still running out of words...  ~*Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear*~ |
||
|
AngelDust Junior Member
since 2000-03-08
Posts 30Minnesota |
Ahh, yes. I, in fact, could not agree more with you. No matter how hard you try to explain how much you love someone, it will always fall short. But, this brings about another question. Can people who put all of there believes into "pure logic" still fall in love? The "pure logic" is something that one of my close friends believes in. He thinks that all emotions are useless, and only detract from the persons main goals and tasks in there lifespan. Thanks for the reply StarrGazer, and I loved the poem you wrote. It's amazing how many people can write such good things in so little time! Thanks -Angel- "I'll lay around and wonder why you were always there for me" - Sugar Ray - Someday |
||
|
Trevor Senior Member
since 1999-08-12
Posts 700Canada |
Ahhh, the age old question, what is love? "Is it the sheer fact that people do not want to be alone? Or is it something much more deeper?" I think love varies from situation to situation. Perhaps there is a chemical reaction that causes "love" and loving thoughts or perhaps there are thoughts and feelings that causes our bodies to produce certain chemicals...either way studies show that something chemically happens to us when we are around someone we love. Now since chemical reactions are in the "love" equation than I guess it might be sorta safe to say that perhaps on occasion there has been a chemical mishap in some people thereby causing them to love without cause, ie. a stalker or an obsessive person. If bodily chemicals can make people be depressed or crazy without wanting to or without real cause than why not love? I think some people "love" out of fear of loneliness but is that really love? For me, love is the obtainable unexplainable. We all seem to be able to navigate the circumferance but never find the center of its meaning....though we try, realllly hard "Can people who put all of there believes into "pure logic" still fall in love?" Well if love does exist than why not? Logically it makes more sense to love than not to. If you love people, people will love you back and be more empathetic towards your needs and wants. If you don't love people and remain cold and callous then people won't be as responsive to your desires. For example, you will be more productive if you are doing something you love, ie. a job or doing a favour for a loved one whereas productivity and results will wain when you are either impartial to or dislike what it is you are doing or who you are doing it for. "He thinks that all emotions are useless, and only detract from the persons main goals and tasks in there lifespan." Personally I think emotions and opinions are needed to first have a goal so it is impossible to say you have a goal and not have an opinion or feeling related to that goal. Even the most simple tasks are feeling based. For example, I am hungry, it does not feel good to be hungry, I do not like not feeling good because of hunger therefore I shall eat. Basically that's my interpretation of a simplistic train of thought regarding what every animal feels when it is hungry. It is possible to sometimes not form opinions on things or to negate opinions after the fact but I think being emotionless is a near impossible feat. For example, I am hungry, it does not feel good to be hungry though me not feeling good is neither a good thing nor a bad thing but rather just is. Don't know if I'm making any sense but thought I'd just throw that out into the air. Just a blind guess but it sounds like your friend just read his first couple of books on Buddhism and has begun to experiment with some ideas presented within these books. If so you should remind him that one goal of Buddhism is to shed opinons but another goal is to love everything unconditionally....through the shedding of opinions, ie. My opinions on everything matters not because the reality of it all is that it is simply a beautiful and wonderful creation and instead of thinking about everything I should feel everything and through that I will arrive at a better understanding of what is....well that's my interpretation of some of the Buddhism stuff....Perhaps though your friend is a Vulcan and emotions are illogical captain J/K..please don't take offense to that last quip Anyways, welcome to passions, thanks for inspiring thought, if you feel like posting poetry in the future consider trying the hole in the wall, aka, Critical Analysis. I'm sure you'd find it an interesting and informative place. Thanks and take care, Trevor |
||
|
Michael
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-13
Posts 7666California |
A pain in the.....apply it where you will, but it's always a pain no matter where you take it... michael |
||
|
AngelDust Junior Member
since 2000-03-08
Posts 30Minnesota |
lol, thanks for your replys guys. I really do appreicate it! Oh, and by the way Trevor, the line... "Perhaps though your friend is a Vulcan and emotions are illogical captain " Well, you're about as right as possible and, no offence taken.Thanks again. -Angel- |
||
|
Alwye
Moderator
Member Elite
since 1999-06-16
Posts 3850In the space between moments |
Ah, what is love, eh? Being in love with a certain Angel boy *wink wink, nudge nudge*, I think I have a decent idea. Love is trust, love is having fun, love is sharing the deepest, most painful parts of you with another. It can range from friendly love, to intimate, to family, to passionate love. It's a feeling that consumes like no other. Look at how many people have killed for love. Have given up everything for love. Have died for it. It's something needed, wanted, wished for, yearned. I find that love has so often saved me when there was nothing else left. I would be lost without it. As I would be lost without you. You, as is your love, are the greatest things in my life. Now, what do you think love is? (although I think I have a good idea) *Krista Knutson* "Every moment marked with apparitions of your soul...." ~*Sarah McLachlan- Do What You Have To Do*~ |
||
|
AngelDust Junior Member
since 2000-03-08
Posts 30Minnesota |
Ohh... I don't know if this is right... a Moderator hitting on a Junior Member, I feel violated... My defenition of love is easily put into words. It's simply when you have a type of emotional and/or spirtual connection with another person or thing. It goes without saying that there are different degree's of love. I think that people can even fall in love with physical items, such as a computer. I love my computer, and wouldn't want to see it get hurt. **looks around, shamefully** Love is something that you feel inside. No one can tell you that you're in love, you just know inside. Just like you Krista, your love has saved me many times, and I would be lost without you. -Angel- |
||
|
Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN |
Ahh.. now this is a question I've long pondered. There's so many different forms. The bond that holds you to your best friends, that keeps you together through thick and thin. And that singular love you share with another, one conveyed in a glance, a touch, just a presence. It doesn't thrive on physicality (though, it's a nice part, LOL), but rather on the people themselves. They should be able to communicate and help each other. They should grow along with the relationship. Does that answer anything? LOL Abrahm Simons Put one foot on the path of life and tread the dagger's path betwixt dark and light. |
||
|
Dawn Eclipse Senior Member
since 2000-01-31
Posts 637The Horsehead Nebula |
lol, I hate this question, but I was glancing through some of your stuff, and I did have one thing to say. It is the emotion that holds two people together that shows pure respect for one another. You don't give in on a problem, but rather try to solve it... it's caring for someone when they need it most and believing not only in them, but also in yourself... believing that anything is possible... and having the courage to fight for it... never giving up if you care enough. Sometimes the most important things can't be seen with the eyes, but are rather felt with the heart. |
||
|
Ruby dagger Member
since 1999-08-01
Posts 76Wyoming, MN, U.S.A |
Love. There are different kinds of love, like the love for another one person, love for a friend, love for family, love for a pet, ect... But what exsactly is love? I think there are three elements of Love for compainionship love: Friendship, Lust, and Obsesion. Friendship so you are able to talk and just have fun with your partner and being able to depend on him/her. Lust cause it's just helpful to want to kiss your partner. Obsession so that you think about him/her constantly and are willing to give up anything for him/her. The only time people get hurt from love is when they love another who does not return their love. The other loves (family, friends) would obvously not have the lust part, but being there for them and willing to sacrifice for your friends and family is was I call love for them. Hopefully this helps ya some with your question. Luv ya Kelly Love breaths when you're out of breath, Love sits by the bedside when you're near to death, and Love still feels it when the feelings gone, Love lives on and on. Love is the right place. -Bryan White |
||
|
Jannel Member
since 2000-01-18
Posts 492Muncie, IN, USA |
The greeks had three words for love. Philos is a brotherly, neighborly sort of love, like you might feel for friends or family. Eros is a sensual, passionate love. Agape is an unconditional, sacrificial love. My idea of love is if these three were a triangle, the point where they meet in the very center would be what we think of as true love. of course, other points within the triangle, and even on the edges are also love, but they are based more on one type than another. I know- it's weird and geometric, but that's how i see it. jannel |
||
|
Stephen Jones Member
since 2000-02-26
Posts 53 |
I've heard alot of people say that they have been "hurt by love". But are they really? Perhaps they are hurt more by their love not being returned. In this case it is the lack of love they are really hurt by. But ultimately love is a risk. To love someone is to open ones heart to the vulnerability of not being loved back. But don't give up on love even though relationships have failed in the past. I know there are different types of Love but I see them all coming from one source like rain, hail, and snow all come from the sky. I have found in God himself the one true unfailing love. I've been hurt, but never has he been unloving to me. The bible even says that "God is love." (1 John). The highest expression of love is Agape love (unconditional love and benevolence). I see this fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. If you want to know what love is study his life for yourself in the scriptures. You will find like the shulamite bride in the "Song of Solomon" that "yea, he is altogether lovely! He actually died for us. and there is no greater love than this! |
||
|
Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
To quote: quote: Says it all... love is feeling. |
||
|
Mellon Collie Junior Member
since 2000-03-25
Posts 49united states of america |
dear angeldust & all others, i've given this more thought in my life perhaps than any other individual i've met. to me, love is life and a life without love is not worth living. what, then is love? i no longer believe that love is the purely emotional phenomenon that we make it out to be. does love effect the emotions? yes. does it involve them to their utmost? most certainly. but is love an emotion? i would argue that it is not. at least not at the foundational level. i would like to rehash stephen's first point that those who claim to have been "hurt by love" have not truly been hurt by love, but rather by a PERSON or a SITUATION. at the foundational level, i believe that love is a decision. desire, attraction, joy, hurt, pain, and lust -- those are feelings, but love is not a feeling -- love gives birth to a multitude of feelings (which we classify under the umbrella of "love"), but love itself is not feeling, but rather a way of living and thinking. love is not a rational decision (love is certainly not rational), but a decision nonetheless. love in any form (TRUE love, that is... i am not speaking of high school crushes and "love" for ice cream or a certain movie) begins with the heart and mind of the lover. any type of love: brotherly, romantic, and sacrificial love all begin with the resolve of the individual TO love. most people would not throw themselves in front of a train for someone they did not know, but there are some that would. why is that? because those individuals have come to cherish (to love) all mankind, not simply those that return their affections -- this is sacrificial (agape) love. but why do they love someone that they do not know? someone that never gave them what we would consider "love" in return? because at some point they made the decision to love all despite having love returned -- despite emotion, they loved anyway. the other two types of love (what i would consider "lesser" loves) fall under the umbrella of agape, but often fail to meet it's high standards. romantic love is the most often confused emotion in our society. people believe that feelings of passion, desire, and attraction are equatable to love, but i would strongly argue otherwise. i believe that it is this misconception (and others like it) that have led to the 50% divorce rate that our nation is currently blessed with. does love encompass passion? desire? most certainly, but does passion encompass love? it does not even begin to. love, therefore, is something that transcends simple human emotion. love is a state of mind, and i would argue that within a loving state of mind one cannot help but manifest all the positive emotions associated with our notion of "love". well, i hope that made at least a little sense. i tend to ramble. sincerely, the beautiful freak |
||
|
Alwye
Moderator
Member Elite
since 1999-06-16
Posts 3850In the space between moments |
I've learned more about love in the past couple of months. Love is self sacrifice, love is coming to a point where you must prove that you'd do anything to see the other person happy, no matter how much it may hurt you. Love is being able to tread the darkness and still believe in the power of such an emotion. Love is coming to the understanding that through it all, you can still be mesmerized by a simple glance, knocked over by an unexpected kiss, fall head over heals when those three little words are spoken so earnestly. I have learned that love is indeed life and that it's worth fighting for. *Krista Knutson* "Lonliness is the human condition." *Mark Twain, in the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"* |
||
|
epoet Member
since 2000-05-11
Posts 291grand rapid,MI, usa |
What is love? Love is the feeling that tears at your heart when you are away from that special someone for way too long. Love is the hole in your life when that someone dies unexpectedly. Love is the patch used to heal your heart when you find someone with who you feel at ease around and with. Love is life, and life is all about love. |
||
|
Rosebud1229 Senior Member
since 2000-04-05
Posts 1813North Carolina |
Love is infinite. Love goes on and on. Whether you want to fall in love. One day you will whether it be with another or your dog or kid. You will undoubtly feel love to some proportion. Some love takes more giving than others. I love my husband, he loves me. We still have different meanings of love. It does not take away the meaning any less. He shows his love differently than I do. I am very open and affectionate. He tends to be more aloof with it. He will tell me he loves me everyday. I am on the other hand the kind of person that wants his words to speak action. Love does come in many different degrees. The more you get to know a person the more you can understand them. Knowing a person, satisfying them and them wanting to satisfy you. Equally as much . Love is the best feeling and sometimes the worse feeling. When all is said I know to love is better than to not have been loved at all. |
||
Moon Dust
since 1999-06-11
Posts 2177Skelmersdale, UK |
I think Love is like a drug we've all exprianced it and we've all got additive to the way it makes us feel. |
||
|
eMoTiOnS oVerLoAd Junior Member
since 2000-05-28
Posts 10 |
the answer to your question: "love is life" if you have no one to share your happiness with...share ur dreams with...share your pain with....if you dont have anyone to laugh with, to cry with, to just talk with...how can you live? for love is happiness, love is dreams, love is pain, love is laughter, love is tears, love is conversation. veronika |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
