What is Love?

[evilwill88]

This is an interesting philosphical topic.

Define Love.

Anyone?

[dutchie]

It is an all overpowering urge to place somebody else in the very centre of your personal universe in stead of yourself.

[evilwill88]

but...... where does it come from?

Is it just a concept of humans that we convince ourselves about or do chemicals in our body have something to do with it?

[sjgort]

Check out this link:

www.cyberparent.com/love/chem1.htm (http://www.cyberparent.com/love/chem1.htm)

Gives you quite a good breakdown of the chemical processes we go through when we fall in love, and how those chemicals change so that we stay in love.

[evilwill88]

thanks for that..... I always thought there was a scientific explanation.

[sjgort]

Isn't there always - keep trying to explain this to the relgious fanatics, but they won't have it!!!!!:D

[evilwill88]

no matter how much logic you use they still don't accept it. It's a great topic to debate though. :D

That just got me thinking. If love depends on chemicals released in the body depending on other people and all. How can one love god?

[sjgort]

I suppose it depends on the use of the word 'love'.

I thought that you have to worship God - which is a rather forced love, isn't it?

[lazserus]

I know love isn't a human concept. The physical nature of love is very real in other creatures besides humans. We just define it a certain way, as we do with everything else. However, it is not limited to humans. Many animals experience and feel love.

[Haddaway]

What is love? baby dont hurt me, dont hurt me, no more

[dutchie]

This is all cool, guys, but apart from myself I haven't seen any "humane" definitions of love. Although I believe that "falling in love" is a process where a lot depends on chemistry, love is something else. The love for one's child, the love that you feel for you partner - these are a lot less chemical. Define that!

[evilwill88]

So where do you propose this love comes from?

[dutchie]

That's not your question, Will, and I don't see why you'd want to know anyway. Your initial question was: "define love".

[evilwill88]

I know what my original question was.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>love is something else.[/quote]

If love is something else then what is it? Where does it come from would also be a logical question.

[DontBeAfraid]

love is all chemical, the love for a child is chemical. the love for a partner is chemical.

[dutchie]

If that is true, and we could isolate that chemical or synthesize it, I'd feed a gallon of the stuff to a brown-haired blue-eyed collegue of mine with the body of a Concorde. The industry would've turned it into a billionsmaking love potion long long ago. I don't believe it.

[DontBeAfraid]

Give her some XTC, thats as close as we have for now. Most mind altering drugs arent legal so things like love potions wont be developed. Its all chemicals and electric currents interacting in our NN's, very hard to develope still, but some day maybe.

[VegasRonin]

True Love is when you put the other person's emotional,spiritual, and physical well being and growth on par with your own. You can't love someone if you don't love yourself.

[dutchie]

Hear, Hear!

[Mensa Genius]

Choosing to love something or somebody means you are giving into a certain insecurity and being insecure creates attraction to someone and this is the basis of love because you are attracted to something you lack emotionally or physically. As far as the influence of chemicals in your mind I believe natural selection plays a big role in determining who is the best person for you to mate with inorder to create a stronger, much better offspring than yourself, so then the cumulative deficiencies you carry from you parents will get wiped out with the perfect next mate, so eventually your future offsprings can adapt to their enviroment.

here is something you might very interesting :)

abcnews.go.com/sections/s...90623.html (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/beauty990623.html)

[VegasRonin]

Have ta say I don't care much for that definition Mensa.

[dutchie]

I agree with Vegas here (phone the papers!:D ).

[Mensa Genius]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Have ta say I don't care much for that definition Mensa. [/quote]

I am not asking you to care for it, but rather be open minded about it.

[necromancer2643]

love is an itchy feeling around the heart that you just can't scratch...

(ok, now i wanna puke)

[VegasRonin]

I'm very opened minded to new ideas, That definition of love just sounded way too negative for me.

[JoePublicJagoan]

My third grade teacher. Now THAT was love :)

[vdiamond]

Mensa,

That article was very interesting. Thank you for posting the link.

On love - how would you explain a mother's love for her children?

And in your opinion - do we "choose" to love - or does it just happen?

[Mensa Genius]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>do we "choose" to love - or does it just happen? [/quote]

We do choose to love, and what we choose to love is often what we are drawn to. The things we are often drawn to are those which we lack emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally as well as pyschologically, for example just as you may visit this forum to find the answer to a particular question you want answered. Your subconcious mind which played a large part in creating you inside your mothers womb, and controls your breathing and the majority of things you do on a day to day basis is also very aware of everyone of deficiencies as it control centre behind your immune system.

The power the subconcious goes even as far as making your body aware of the best suited partner by chemical means such as the very powerful human pheromones! The smell from a potential partner will attract you to that person subconciously, and deter you from someone unsuitable also. your subconcious does this so that a part of your biological system may be passed on to make its offspring even stonger than it was before, and so we say the survival of the fittest.

The choices you have control over who you choose to love are those which involve how you "condition" your insecurities.
Love of a sibling, mother, father, and a very close friend are built around tight bonds and the insecurity which keeps you loving them, such as the fear that they might stop loving you someday, or maybe you are conditioned to feel the same insecurity so if someone hurts your loved one you feel the same pain that they feel. When someone falls out of love with someone its because they have personally fulfilled that insecurity they felt about someone, and if you research on homes where women are abused by their husbands you will find that as strange as it is that they are so insecure and afraid of being beaten they actually develope a love for their abusers, and keep allowing the abusers back into their life. Abuse plus fear can actually stimulate strong love from the victim to the abuser!! It is only when a victim of abuse stands up and acknowledges they are not afraid and have built up against that insecurity, do they find they can pack their bags and never look back.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>how would you explain a mother's love for her children?[/quote]
I would say unconditional, but then I hear stories like " A woman leaves her newly born baby girl to die in some dirty rubbish bag :| !"
A true woman, a true mother has the ability to feel the babies insecurity. Every time the baby cries she hears its call to be loved, and taken care of. Sometimes the idea of the guilt behind not being there for the baby creates an insecurity in the mother, because she may feel "what if this was me, how would I feel". The other half of the reason there is motherly love is because of the subconcious has deep in its recesses instructions to make the mother or father of the baby feel for the child, and this we can see in all of nature from the bird to the kings of the jungles, most animals appear to look after their young until they are of a mature age.

[VegasRonin]

I can't bite my tongue on this any longer. Every time I read the title of this thread, that song that was popular in the late 80s starts playing in my head. I can't recall the artist but he was a black guy from the UK. It went like "What is Love...Baby don't hurt me" can't remember the rest. :evil:

[dutchie]

I know exactly what song you're talking about, but I can't think of the artist. It wasn't Seal I think. Do a search on Kazaa, that should do the trick... (I'm at work so I can't do it for you).

[dutchie]

Mensa,
Your definition is almost comprehensive, but not quite.. I can remember I met my wife for the first time (march 30th 1984) at a friend's 30th birthday party. It was definitely NOT her smell. The pheromomes must have been BLOWN away by the stuff she was wearing... I made her swear never to wear that sewerbrew again... What attracted me to her in the first place was a sort of dual radiation: both incertainty and selfawareness made her irresistable. These are both things I am not lacking...

[vdiamond]

What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
What is love
Yeah
Oh I don't know
why you're not fair
I give you my love
but you don't care
So what is right
and what is wrong
gimme a sign
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
uoh oh...
Oh I don't know
what can I do
what else can I say
it's up to you
I know we're one
just me and you
I can't go on
What is love ?...
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
uoh oh..
What is love
What is love
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
I want no other
No other love
This is your life
our time
When we are together
I need you forever
Is it love
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
uoh oh..
What is love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
What is love ?...
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
no more
what is love?!

[VegasRonin]

There it is! :evil:

[dutchie]

Can't say I think these lyrics show the intellectual quality that levels with the usual standards of this forum... And if you ask me, I don't think the answer to the inital question is given in them either. :lol:

[JoePublicJagoan]

Very insightful perspective, Mensa. Makes a lot of sense. Hey dutchie, I don't think the pheremone thing is instant the first time you meet the person in most cases. I'll bet there was a point in your relationship where you regularly noticed her smell when she wasn't around and you can associate your emotions for her with that smell.

[dutchie]

Are you talking about pheromones or about perfume this time?

[vdiamond]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Can't say I think these lyrics show the intellectual quality that levels with the usual standards of this forum... And if you ask me, I don't think the answer to the inital question is given in them either.[/quote]
Well excuse me for posting the lyrics in question.

I didn't realize all posts were to "show the intellectual quality that levels with the usual standards of this forum".

I'll keep that in mind.

You have a great way of making a new poster feel welcome, dutchie. Have many friends?

[vdiamond]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Love of a sibling, mother, father, and a very close friend are built around tight bonds and the insecurity which keeps you loving them, such as the fear that they might stop loving you someday,...[/quote]
I don't believe it is an insecurity that keeps us loving them. In fact - I believe that because we are so secure in their love for us - we are able to do and say things that we wouldn't ordinarily do or say around others. Both parties know that they will still love and be there for each other.

[evilwill88]

Since dutchie gave you such a warm welcome....... :p

Welcome to the forum vdiamond. Enjoy your stay.

Would you care to explain why you posted those lyrics?

[VegasRonin]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Would you care to explain why you posted those lyrics? [/quote]
Uh, that was my fault. I brought up a song that was titled "What is love".:cool:

[evilwill88]

I see.

This topic is kind of dying...... :lol:

[DarkAce01]

That was an old freestyle song by Haddaway:) It was quite the club anthem back then and still gets played in clubs over here every so often.

[geedubyah]

A lack of ulterior motives is what Dutchie was referring to in his post. Love is typically defined the way he posted.

To sum: "When one places the wants/needs/desires of the other person above one's own."

But love.. .. ..while true that it is a chemical process that occurs.. .. ..try reminding yourself of that when you 'fall in love'.. .. ..and try telling yourself that as love grows and develops. Try telling yourself it's just chems. See how far you get before saying, "Aw fucck it! I'm gonna run with it because it feels 'so' good."

When you meet a girl and she has an effect on you. The moment your eyes meet, that initial tinge of electric jolts your every nook & cranny.

When you can talk with her--after the idle banter and initial chit chat--really talk with her. You can lose yourself in the depths of her eyes--one might say you fall into the depths of her soul. If one chooses to believe in such.

All your attention is given to her at that moment. You hold her hand and feel like the luckiest schmuck in the world. You get to sit next to her, cuddle with her, and smell her scent which is composed of her hair products, her skin, her perfume, and of course the chems that make her, well, her. (see--it is chems based on the above smells) ;)

I don't know what love is. I'm not sure I want to know what love is. Perhaps the magic that comes with love might be lost then.

But when love ends--and it can end badly. Your whole goddammned world is torn apart. You can feel like you're losing your frickin' mind.

Don't worry will, from what I've gathered about you, you're young and apt to experieince many times where love is going to flip you around and drop you straight on your head.. .. ..and then kick in the ass while you're down.

Don't laugh or scoff. It's the truth. And you'll go through it and cause some to go through it. Just try and remember to not take advantage of the power that love can hold.

What a bunch of cheese--if my voters see this, they'll lynch me.. .. ..which may be alright with some of you, but not me.

[dutchie]

Deep, geedubyah, deep... And true, of course...

I am now 19 (almost 20) years with the same person, and she still has the power...

You're right of course - we dont want to know exactly what the mystery is all about!

Vdiamond! You saw some personal attack in my post where there was none intended. It's of course very nice of you to post these lyrics. I just referred to the contence of course, not to the messenger. I bid you - like anyone else a VERY WARM WELCOME.

I have many acquaintances. There aren't very many people I would call friend. It's an honourary title you should reserve for a few people only.

[terminatordrei]

I don't think what people call "love" exists.
It is only a mechanism to assure species's survival.
For example, a mother loves her children because she feels they are a part or a product of herself. A person likes to have friends to be comfortable with self. People believe there is somebody meant to be with each one. This is not true. When you were in high school you thought you had were in love with some other person, after you broke up you met another person and thought you loved this next person, realizing you didn't ever really love the previous one. So that's it you just stay with whomever you can bare. If love really existed it would last forever.

I only believe in the love God gives me.:)

[Smersh]

Hey Termo glad to see you made it over and welcome :) (hope your birthday wasn't a friday btw :eek: )

[MetalMilitia]

Well, let us examine what each gender wants in the other. :confused: The more they like each others personality and philosophy, then the more they can fall in love. Here we go...

What do men want?
Researchers at Alabama's Auburn University say they have determined what men want in the "ideal woman": she is sexually inexperienced but likes sex, has a career but is a full-time homemaker, has a slim build, is athletic, and has pretty eyes, dark hair, good complexion and a firm butt. Large breasts are nice, but not all that important.

What do women want?
Strong yet gentle, powerful yet sensitive, has a great career yet helps clean the house and raise the children, in control yet cries, and a sex expert who's only been with one woman.

Does a lot of this make sense to you now? I hope I have explained it fully. :) Questions / comments...? Don't call us, we will call you.

[dutchie]

Ah, the force may be strong with you, but you only talk of want:nudge:, you do. Not of LOVE. :love:

[Two Socks]

is to make the female of the species feel comfortable enough to carry the male of the species child.

Love is a lie designed to fool the lesser developed minds into believing more crap. Ask prez, he has knowledge about all kinds of lies.

Fucck love. Love is total crap. Pure and simple.

Society as a whole would be better off if people placed more value on respect over love.

And that's that.

[dutchie]

Two Socks, you obviously

* did not experience love (yet);
* had some disappointing experience(s).

Bitterness is dripping from your post. Apart from that, respect is the major part of love.

[MetalMilitia]

Talk like this you can, but myself you shall never be! :)

Ah, the force may be strong with you, but you only talk of want, you do. Not of LOVE.

That was a study by Auburn Unisversity comparing what men want, versus what women want. I thought it was interesting enough to bring up simply due it all of the CONTRIDICTIONS in it. It was also very humerous.

I have been in love only one time, so I can't explain the full effects. I had a girlfriend for 3 years and we actually talked about marriage. School and career changes brought us apart, however, we still talk 1-2 times a week, and we could get back together soon. I don't doubt that it can happen, but it isn't something that I live my life by. As far as I am concerned, we are just "really close," and understand each other better than the average friend.

If you want my actual opinion I would say love is sharing your personal thoughts with each other. Getting to know the persons inner most self, and telling your "signifigant" other your thoughts at the same time. I really want someone I can talk to on a regular basis, and share my opinions. I, personally don't care about looks, but I haven't dated anyone that is "strange" in any way. I will leave the word "strange" up for debate. It's someone that is almost an exact replica of you, except for an opposite sex (Although, they say, opposites attract). We thought so much alike that we could finish each others sentences, and knew what each other wanted before it happened.

IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 LEAVE THIS THREAD NOW!!!!

A good sexual relationship is key to "love." Pleasing your partner is an essential to getting to "love" them, and is probably the most overlooked and personal aspect in a relationship. I have friends that say "lets get some poontang" and I totally DISAGREE with their philosophy. They are looking for a one-night stand, and nothing more. I can't understand the way they think about women, and I can't understand how they treat them like total sex objects. I'm not a conservative when it comes to sex, but people that act on a sexual impulese on a 4-second notice are simply in the wrong. It takes weeks/ months to "actually" get to know someone, and everyone I know that acts opposite of this are acting out of their horniness. (My exceptions being a few friends)

Love is what the couple makes of it, nothing more, nothing less. You have to know, and trust each other, not just "meet" on someone on a f~c~ing blind date, and "hook up."

Am I in the wrong here?

<sorry for any typos>

[dutchie]

No, you're not, but your definition is not quite comprehensive, though profound..

Things like sex, respect, you name it, are all part of it, but what it boils down to is
* ego completion;
* moving out of egocentrism.

* ego completion: When you're alone there is a feeling of incompleteness, that slowly dies out over time: when you're 18 this is strongest, when you're 50 and were single all of your life, that feeling diminishes (at least, that's what all 40/50+ singles tell me - but they might be lying through their teeth, of course..). Meeting someone that you fall in love with will - if all goes well, of course - end up in a feeling of, er.. wholeness (..or whatever you english speaking people name it..) or completion. You feel complete, as if nothing is missing anymore.

* moving out of egocentrism.
When you're alone the whole universe rotates around you. You're the centre of your world. The partner you have a relation with will - over time - take over that place in the centre of your universe. Or rather: you will put that person there. You will have the NEED to take care of that person. To look after her/him and to have him/her near you as much of the time as humanly is possible.

I know my wife for almost 20 years now. Both feelings of completeness and that she is in the heart of my universe have been present throughout those 20 years. Undiminished.

This is not to say that sex is not important - on the contrary. It's just a part of the two I mentioned before, just like respect.:love:

[MetalMilitia]

So I am very confused. Were you agreeing in some way, or were you totally denying what I said about a relationship? Good sex is what keeps a relationship going, lets face it... Pleasing your partner is half of the "establishment" but knowing that person better than anyone else puts you into their psychie. I have never known anyone like I knew her...

I am still young and dumb. but I'm pretty confident I have experienced love. If love involves having your hearrt shattered into 10.000,000 pieces then I have been there.:devsmo:

[Two Socks]

" I have friends that say "lets get some poontang" and I totally DISAGREE with their philosophy. They are looking for a one-night stand, and nothing more. I can't understand the way they think about women, and I can't understand how they treat them like total sex objects."

Your argument is flawed.

See, the women wouldn't allow your guy friends access to sex, if they weren't interested in it as well. Therefore by your post, the women are treating the men as sex objects as well. There is nothing wrong with 'gettin' some poontang'; or in the women's case, 'gettin' some cocck'.

So, condemning your guy friends is wrong because it takes two to screw unless your buddies are raping these chicks--which is highly doubtful.

Grow up and get some balls.

[mickydoolittle]

"You feel complete, as if nothing is missing anymore."

If anyone 'needs' somone else to feel complete, that person has some major insecurities; which is ultimately unhealthy, but whatever helps you sleep at night.

"You will have the NEED to take care of that person. To look after her/him and to have him/her near you as much of the time as humanly is possible."

That's simply because you're afraid to be alone, and therefore, you develop this world around this person--this too is unhealthy, because when that person dies or leaves, you will have nothing for which to center your 'universe'. Then what will you do?

I think we all know what comes after that.

Click.

KaBOOM!

And the mention of respect being a part of love to Two Socks. I disagree entirely with that statement of your post. You forget we live in AMERICA (T.S. & myself). Two Socks is onto something there. Too many people say that they love each other and have no respect for themselves or the object of their love. It's true that respect is more valuable than love today because love has been used for ulterior motives and devalued. I would agree that respect is more important than love.

Love for a child would differ from this argument--that is unconditional and vastly different from the love of a spouse/girlfriend.

[cwohardy]

I found unconditional love for someone else after giving birth to my son. If your definition of love includes feeling like you would give your own life to protect another human being, then I guess this is it. I would not hesitate to kill ANYONE I knew was going to harm my child. I know some would just call this the old instinct of saving newborns going back to the cave days. Whatever. This goes beyond instinct. After watching some of the horrible things people do to each other, then watching the interviews with their Mothers, I can honestly say that while I would never condone or try to justify my child hurting someone else in any way(except in obvious self defense), I would still love him with all my heart. Guess this is just "Mothers love" but it sure is the only love I have ever felt that seemed honest.

[terminatordrei]

I already tolf you ehat I think love is, a mechanism for species survival. it is accompanied by many feelings and emotions. Only when one feels all these emotions one has the right to be united sexually to the partner.

In other words I think "casual sex" and all those liberalist fallacies are wrong. According to my religion they are also sinful, I agree with it.:) I also believe in chastity until marriage and that divorce is no option.

However, I believe "loving" someone is something you choose to do or not. The other option is remaining and ascethic (btw i want to become one).

The way I see it, solidarity and respect should be put over love.
There are already many people in the world so whe do not need reproduction that much. Instead of wanting a daughter of son of their own, couples shpuld adopt a child. We should help the poor.


It is up to you to love someone or not, however, we all must cooperate with everyone else in making this world better. Let's destroy poverty and selfishness brought by our system.:thumbs:

[Bigsky770]

wizz hard-on -w- your wife.

"What is Love? Baby don't hurt me, Don't hurt me, no more". . . .(thanx alot. . . ) NOW I got that song playin' in my head. . . :Ohwell:

Joe (Bigsky770)

[RavenWhitefang]

When I got married, my mom had us go to her pastor for marriage counselling..gee fun..but he made a comment similar to the question. What do you think love is? needless to say he said something that made sense to my pagan mind. When you make love, you are making something from nothing, creating this force or energy between eachother is love.

Heh, since then though ive been divorced and had my heart crapped on, run over by busses, and ripped to shreds. But I have my kids and I would pull down the heavens and give them the stars to play with.

Love in some cases never lasts between people, soul mates...there are more than one for each person, it depends on the vibrations you are on when you meet. Falling out of love, your vibrations have become out of sync with the other person. Which is why so many people are attracted to others that have the same interests and dislikes.

[Bigsky770]

A friend who was pretty knowledgeable about the subject you discuss (soulmates) had once told me that "a person on average meets 20 potential soul-mates within a given lifetime"- - -Now when I think back, I cannot recall whether or not I had been told this between wife No's 2 to 3 (or) 3 to 4. . . .
Anywho, I am sure I'd surpassed my quota long ago. . . :lol:

Joe (Bigsky770)

[dutchie]

Anyway, you already deserve my respect for keepin trying... Geez, 4 women.... I had 1 wife since my 26th and about 6 (serious) girlfriends between 18 and 26. To tell you the honest truth, at 26 I was ready to give up. Some girls can be mean..... :ohmy:

[dutchie]

dutchie--you're describing co-dependency
"You feel complete, as if nothing is missing anymore."

If anyone 'needs' somone else to feel complete, that person has some major insecurities; which is ultimately unhealthy, but whatever helps you sleep at night.
I can understand that you say that, and up to a point you're right. The flaw is in the idea that the need for company is ultimately unhealthy. Man is a social creature, that performs better in the company of mates. Many scientific studies have shown that the life expectancy of a solitaire human being is lower than that with a partner. So: the need to feel "complete" is ultimately VERY healthy.


"You will have the NEED to take care of that person. To look after her/him and to have him/her near you as much of the time as humanly is possible."

That's simply because you're afraid to be alone, and therefore, you develop this world around this person--this too is unhealthy, because when that person dies or leaves, you will have nothing for which to center your 'universe'. Then what will you do?
Afraid to be alone? No, I don't think so. My wife and I lead very busy lives: She goes to psychological conferences, has her hypnotherapy practice at home, while I have my band, do recording sessions, you name it. BTW that does not mean that we do not spend time together; we try to do that as much as possible, and we love that time together very much. As far as being afraid to drop into a void once she would die, no! - no way, even. And she feels the same way about me, I can assure you. On top of that, we have got two children in our care and responsability.


I think we all know what comes after that.

Click.

KaBOOM!
Ha ha ha, :Llol: very funny, MD!!
Don't worry: as long as there's a laugh in my head, I won't do the deed...


Love for a child would differ from this argument--that is unconditional and vastly different from the love of a spouse/girlfriend
Ah, but there you are mistaken, my friend. As I very well know from personal experience, there is nothing unconditional in the love between parents and children and vise versa. Vastly different, OK, but not unconditional. All relations can die out. I love both my kids from the deepest depths of my heart, but that makes it all the more fragile. I know a couple that have a 17 year old son. His father recently told me, that he was sad to admit to the fact that he feels no more love for his son, because of everything this kid had done to show his hatred towards his parents (the son has a girlfriend in a religious sect or cult and this girl tries to drive him out of their lives).

[Edge]

Love itself is being watered down by modern pop culture almost to the point that it is dead. Not completely but still dying.

[Edge]

What type of band are you in Dutchie?

[voxpopulisuxx]

Id be interested to see how members answer this very broad question.
Not about "I love broads". OR I love dressing up in my Lando Calrisian(Nye)outfit,
But the real existential,poetic, or romantic etc....concept of Love, what is it, why do we feel it, is it real.

[Bigsky770]

. . .Although already addressed @ this forum. So I moved and merged this to that section where the original was located. . .

Joe (Bigsky770) :vbroll:

[voxpopulisuxx]

. . .Although already addressed @ this forum. So I moved and merged this to that section where the original was located. . .

Joe (Bigsky770) :vbroll:
BIG SKY i WISHED YOU'D CHECK WITH ME! i KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUT I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THAT THE TOPIC OF "LOVE" HAS VERY RELIGOUS SIGNIFICANCE! NOT JUST PHILOSOPHICAL! SO IM GONNA DO ANOTHER ONE RENAME IT SLIGHTLY IN RELIGIOUS SECTION! I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RELIGIOUS POINT! :crtmn:

[Bigsky770]

. . .(my INTENT was not to piss yah off!) My only 'intent' was to try to tidy things up a 'lil (as we like to do here) to keep all related threads together. We, (of course) reserve the right to move, merge, edit, delete and otherwise modify as we see fit, as that is our job.

. . .Here's an idea for you, since you already SEEM to have a point in this that may wax philisophical towards the religious bent, why not post your point here as to what it is you're trying to get across? Then we'll be able to engage your viewpoint, yay er nay from that angle.

. . .Oh yeah. One more thing. I read what yah deleted, as we have the ability to do that too. :lol: No, I'm not angry. Life's too short and I'm too old, aside from which/I'd kinda miss yer rants. . .:D

Joe (Bigsky770) :vbroll:

[gracestamper]

Perfect love casts out fear.

[Edge]

Love is a fist.

[voxpopulisuxx]

. . .(my INTENT was not to piss yah off!) My only 'intent' was to try to tidy things up a 'lil (as we like to do here) to keep all related threads together. We, (of course) reserve the right to move, merge, edit, delete and otherwise modify as we see fit, as that is our job.

. . .Here's an idea for you, since you already SEEM to have a point in this that may wax philisophical towards the religious bent, why not post your point here as to what it is you're trying to get across? Then we'll be able to engage your viewpoint, yay er nay from that angle.

. . .Oh yeah. One more thing. I read what yah deleted, as we have the ability to do that too. :lol: No, I'm not angry. Life's too short and I'm too old, aside from which/I'd kinda miss yer rants. . .:D

Joe (Bigsky770) :vbroll:
well i posted what i deleted before i figured out what happened so i was wrong, this big brother act gives me the creeps
my point is that the very fact that we "love" is proof of transcendence, that all isn't simply biology, that there is a part of humanity that animals do not possess, while animals may morn and be protective of their off spring, animals do not mourn the death of their children like humans do, if some gazelles watch their little one devoured by lions, the gazelle gets over it quick, if a human were to watch their child devoured by a lion, it would take years of therapy, or religous counseling for most parents to get over it.
secondly...the english word Love has to be the most insuffeciant word ever produced by civilized man. English uses one word to describe a concept of oceanic breadth and width, consider the following sentence...I love watching my baby whom I love, eating the food he loves the most ....etc...more to come!

[voxpopulisuxx]

It does not matter if your children love you, it only matters that you love your children, so one who says he can no longer love their children because their children do not love them, never loved their children in the first place, they only narcassisticly loved their reflection in their children.
the greatest poem ever written (IMO) about the proper attitude of parents for their children was written bythe lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran...In the Prophet....
On Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
http://www.columbia.edu/~gm84/gibran4.html

[Bigsky770]

Originally posted by Voxpopulisuxx
well i posted what i deleted before i figured out what happened so i was wrong, this big brother act gives me the creeps

. . .Jebus. . .Don't give me that "Big-Brother" routine. All's cool, as I understand that you posted BEFORE you had time to think about it, and this was your INITIAL reaction. When I was kinda new here, I had posts moved quite a bit, believe-it-or-not there are those above myself (or) have been a part of this "Forum" much longer than myself here, that still do that to ME, and no, I'm not offended, as this is understood as they have the final say. I trust that their judgement calls can be better than mine @ times.



Originally posted by Voxpopulisuxx
while animals may morn and be protective of their off spring, animals do not mourn the death of their children like humans do, if some gazelles watch their little one devoured by lions, the gazelle gets over it quick, if a human were to watch their child devoured by a lion, it would take years of therapy, or religous counseling for most parents to get over it.

. . .I think animals understand more about LOVE than we give them credit for, though that does fit within their ability, their perceptions and their cognizance of "Love" and "Loss". I've seen animals through both. You can FEEL it, (yah, I know that may sound strange). This is not something which I 'imagine', it comes through in a way that no words can express, that's all I can say. . .



Originally posted by Voxpopulisuxx
the english word Love has to be the most insuffeciant word ever produced by civilized man. English uses one word to describe a concept of oceanic breadth and width, consider the following sentence...I love watching my baby whom I love, eating the food he loves the most ....

. . .I agree 100%; there ARE NO words that can accurately describe, define, (or) a description of which that can encompass all that is within this single, most powerful word. What I believe:

* Love is stronger than "Hate". Love is a builder; Love promotes growth. Hatred may APPEAR stronger through acts of violence, but because it is a "destroyer" it can only weaken all participants in the end, at which point all participants finally choose the only logical outcome; Growth and re-build.

* Love is understanding, Love is forgiveness. For we are not perfect, and that cannot be expected that we should be; We are all a "work in progress" and your truest friends will ALWAYS understand this.

* Love is even "Letting go" when it hurts most to do so; "Love and Loss" therefore are the hardest things that affect one, as I believe we are all 'one' in the end, this is not a "Forever". Does this 'scar' ones heart for now? Sure. We all have them, (scars) most of us just go-on with life, those who can't/won't. There is sadness in that, though I want to believe in the end there will be a healing of ALL.

Just my own crazy thoughts. . .Heh. . .

Joe (Bigsky770) :vbroll:

[dutchie]

...personally I can not see the religious turn you would want to make with the "concept" love, Vox. I think Joe was absolutely right to merge the thread with the one already existing in Philosopy. I can see you would regard the love of Jesus (as described in Christian religion) as being from some higher order, but that intent was not mentioned in the initial question here.

[Keeblergiant]

my point is that the very fact that we "love" is proof of transcendence, that all isn't simply biology, that there is a part of humanity that animals do not possess, while animals may morn and be protective of their off spring, animals do not mourn the death of their children like humans do, if some gazelles watch their little one devoured by lions, the gazelle gets over it quick, if a human were to watch their child devoured by a lion, it would take years of therapy, or religous counseling for most parents to get over it.

That's not true at all. Animals love just like we do. My neighbor had a cat who had kittens, and one day one of the kittens (well it wasn't exactly a kitten anymore) wandered into the street and got hit by a car. You could hear the cat outside that night "crying" (I guess that's how to describe it). Animals (such as humans) do have emotional attachments to their children, their siblings, their parents, other animals they've grown up with, etc. Just because a gazelle gets over it's child being eaten quickly doesn't mean anything. You're forgetting that a gazelle will witness many a gazelle being eaten in it's lifetime, and that it's just a part of the chain of life to them. If you lived in a tight community and one or more of the members of your community were eaten everyday, eventually you wouldn't feel as sad about the deaths.

[voxpopulisuxx]

...personally I can not see the religious turn you would want to make with the "concept" love, Vox. I think Joe was absolutely right to merge the thread with the one already existing in Philosopy. I can see you would regard the love of Jesus (as described in Christian religion) as being from some higher order, but that intent was not mentioned in the initial question here.
The question I had was going to turn on the fact that Love exists at all prove the trancendential nature of man, that lifts him above mere biology....

*Love is simply the absence of Hate, as darkness is the absence of light.

*Love is the substance that God is in the process of Creating with our help, that is why we must have autonomous wills from his, all compulsion By God against our free will destroys the ability for Love to flourish, much the same way that peeling a rose bud open is not the same as allowing it to bloom, or cutting open the caterpillars cocoon with result in a butterfly. This Love God is creating is so astounding and beautiful that it is worth all the suffering required to aquire it.

[Keeblergiant]

*Love is simply the absence of Hate, as darkness is the absence of light.

Love is not the absense of hate...can you not love and hate someone at the same time? Can you neither love nor hate someone? They are not dual qualities.

[DontBeAfraid]

Love is produced by chemicals in your brain vox.... KG I dont think he can see our posts.

[leyprophet]

What is love??????????

Science hasn't found the right combination of chemicals yet though I theorize the number of chemicals your mody mixes together to create love to be close to 150 mixed in different levels to produce the different types of love we normally feel for one another.

That said there is also a love that transcends these chemicals and reaches to what we will call ones spirituality. To attempt to put that love into words when people who feel it don't understand the feeling themselves would be extremely difficult.

[tunde]

i think love is something sharte with other peoples so as to show appreciation for what god has created :prin:

[evilwill]

What does love have to do with spirituality?

[Sabazi]

What about different types of love? Love of country, family honor, etc.

[nrj]

The closets thing anyone can say, is that love is the strongest feeling of them all. Its stronger then the joy of the new trailer on E3, stronger then the fear of nuclear weapons, stronger then the anger of Bush.

[Sabazi]

Love is produced by chemicals in your brain vox.... KG I dont think he can see our posts.
Even if it is just a chemical process, what makes it any less special? Your thoughts are just chemical and electrical processes in your brain.

[Keeblergiant]

Even if it is just a chemical process, what makes it any less special? Your thoughts are just chemical and electrical processes in your brain.

That's why I don't think it's special. Everything goes back to neuron networks and chemistry (except for indifference, however, you're only truly indifferent to things that you don't know exist).

[Sabazi]

That's why I don't think it's special. Everything goes back to neuron networks and chemistry (except for indifference, however, you're only truly indifferent to things that you don't know exist).
What do you think is special?

[Houston411]

"What is love"

Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me... no more... WHAT IS LOVE!!!!???

[nrj]

"What is love"

Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me... no more... WHAT IS LOVE!!!!???

Thats Haddaways answer, but it doesnt make much sense ;)

[Forgotten Rebel]

John Lennon - Love (The Plastic Ono Band)

Love is real, real is love
Love is feeling, feeling love
Love is wanting to be loved

Love is touch, touch is love
Love is reaching, reaching love
Love is asking to be loved

Love is you
You and me
Love is knowing
We can be

Love is free, free is love
Love is living, living love
Love is needing to be loved

What the huh, Vox is back?

[nrj]

What the huh, Vox is back?

He is? Aww, shit!

[Cherisa]

Love is guy going to buy his girl tampons in the middle of a snowstorm , Love is a girl giving birth to a man's child... Love is a guy listening to his girl, Love is a girl listening to her guy! Love is an Action.. Not neurons NOT chemicals... Not SEX.

[Beatnik Bob]

Can you not love money as well? Without buying it tampons in the middle of a snowstorm?

[Sammy56]

The love of money breeds nothing more than selfishness and greed.

To me, love is knowing, without having to think about it, that you would do anything to help someone. You would sacrifice your life for them without a second thought.

[Beatnik Bob]

So perhaps going through a snowstorm to get tampons for a dog you love?

And what of the unconditional love between a brother and sister, or sister and sister, or brother and brother? I love my sister but i wouldn't buy her tampons in a snowstorm...

[The Silence]

The love of money breeds nothing more than selfishness and greed.

To me, love is knowing, without having to think about it, that you would do anything to help someone. You would sacrifice your life for them without a second thought.

I cannot agree with you more...

[Nu Kua]

I suspect that love is a state of being that evokes emotional responses from one end to the other.
How this is expressed varies with the context of the relationship, as well as other the personality, needs, and traits of each person unique to each person involved.
This is why the type of love a parent has for a child feels different from the type of love this same person has for her mate, or her mother, or her best friend, or her cat. And why love is so hard to define. Love as an expression or emotion can't really be defined because the circumstances behind its expression vary so greatly between individuals.
But, I think, the core of the connection is what is really the love, and it is the same place of being.

[bobcat]

shakepeare says, "love is blind"

[Devon]

Will love evolve? Has it?
Love can be a great struggle, it hardens and attatches itself to a weakness inside of you forcing you to cringe when it is threatened.
Love is curious and tender and at the same time fiery and desirable. Certain people can't handle it, others look for it and embrace it as comfort.
There are so many ways to love, to feel attatchement. I love my brother, but definitely not the same way that i would love a guy who intrigues me in countless ways, in a never ending sauga of what i shouldn't say that might eventually reveal the truth. It is fragile and frustrating. It sometimes turns to anger. Why do we feel in such a complicated manner. Is it sane? It's pathetic to say the least. I might be the type to try and get rid of it. Are you?

[Cartesiantheater]

Will love evolve? Has it?
Love can be a great struggle, it hardens and attatches itself to a weakness inside of you forcing you to cringe when it is threatened.
Love is curious and tender and at the same time fiery and desirable. Certain people can't handle it, others look for it and embrace it as comfort.
There are so many ways to love, to feel attatchement. I love my brother, but definitely not the same way that i would love a guy who intrigues me in countless ways, in a never ending sauga of what i shouldn't say that might eventually reveal the truth. It is fragile and frustrating. It sometimes turns to anger. Why do we feel in such a complicated manner. Is it sane? It's pathetic to say the least. I might be the type to try and get rid of it. Are you?

Do you write poetry? If not, perhaps you should take it up...


Anyway, on topic:

Love is a corrosive acid.

[Devon]

Love is a corrosive acid.[/QUOTE]


^^ It definitely has it's moments. Beautiful quote.

And thank you, I do write; I have to. I'm the kind of person whom, if a thought lingers too long; it will run through my mind and not leave me to deal with daily priorities. ahaha. And so, i have pages and pages of mediocre, questionable content that i'll look back on in 10 years and wish that i had gotten some sort of help for it. Ha. =) have a nice one.