Love

[derek]

While the male gender have a tendency to bundle us all up into the same group of frivolous, shopaholics who are vain and hate men, sadly.

See I can be bitter, too.

I was not being bitter, only making an observation - One which I maintain is true. I am generalising, of course.

 

[Norsemaiden]

Love is something that can happen to you, in different ways. After having my first child, I realized love on a whole different level. I couldn't imagine not loving my son, or him not loving me. I need that love. As far as intimate love goes, I never fanatically looked for it...in fact, I wasn't even sure it existed. However, after dating my husband for awhile, I realized how much I really loved him as well. I couldn't imagine not loving him, or him not loving me as well. I also need that love. I can also think about it, and realize how much I love my dad and how much I've depended, relied, and needed (and still do) that love also. I think love is varied and different. These three men are men that I love very deeply and intently, but the love I have for each one is different. I think this thread has dealt, mainly, on romantic love, but there are other kinds.

I totally agree. Romatic love is a lot more complicated than love of family and your children, which it is easy to take for granted.

 

[Akirahito]

When I think love, the first thing that comes to my mind is my son. I have to add though, that love itself is easy. In a romantic relationship, it's the easiest part. You fall in love...ok, simple. It's the trust, unity (i.e. learning to work as a team, learning to be part of a serious commitment), day to day issues everyone struggles with (money, kids, bills, debts, etc.), what to do and when to do it, learning to sacrifice, knowing when to let things go, not getting sensitive about meaningless things....these are some of the things that make the actual relationship hard, not the love. These are the things you work at. When you fall in love, you think "wow, I love this person", you don't think "wow, he's so great with his money, there's a guy who can pay his bills on time."

 

[derek]

I realised today I generally use the term love to just express deep and passionate feelings about someone...simply because it is the easiest and most fitting word to use.

Still not convinced it exists objectively, though.

 

[speed]

I realised today I generally use the term love to just express deep and passionate feelings about someone...simply because it is the easiest and most fitting word to use.

Still not convinced it exists objectively, though.

I thought I was the pessimist?

 

[Susperia]

I realised today I generally use the term love to just express deep and passionate feelings about someone...simply because it is the easiest and most fitting word to use.

Still not convinced it exists objectively, though.

If you feel it, it fucking exists okay. Even if it justs exists for you and not the person next to you, it still exists.

 

[derek]

If you feel it, it fucking exists okay. Even if it justs exists for you and not the person next to you, it still exists.

Coming from someone convinced they are in love, I see no reason to believe that.

 

[Susperia]

Haha, well that's partly my point. It's a feeling/emotion that exists for me, therefore it must exist.

I dont' understand what there is to argue about love. Everyone feels some form of it. Animals, too. Penguins will fight to the death to defend their mates and/or offspring, same for bears, etc. To me they're all communicating forms of love.

 

[infoterror]

It's a feeling/emotion that exists for me, therefore it must exist.

Kind of the same as "God" - people think it exists, therefore, in a real-world sense, it does - as something with which we must deal.

This article is interesting in that context.

 

[Akirahito]

Haha, well that's partly my point. It's a feeling/emotion that exists for me, therefore it must exist.

I dont' understand what there is to argue about love. Everyone feels some form of it. Animals, too. Penguins will fight to the death to defend their mates and/or offspring, same for bears, etc. To me they're all communicating forms of love.

That's just evolution. Animals will do whatever it takes to propogate their DNA.

 

[infoterror]

That's just evolution. Animals will do whatever it takes to propogate their DNA.

Not sure about that. In some cases, they seem to feel affection for one another. Not "scientific," but observed...

 

[Susperia]

Plus animals can also definitely feel affection towards humans, or their "owners". Maybe even love, who knows.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

That's just evolution. Animals will do whatever it takes to propogate their DNA.

i kinda think that maybe you're right here cuz there are some biologists that define love as afection for something to the extent of being contradictory to the propogation of your DNA, such as continuing to have a sexually monogomos relationship with someone that you know is sterile

 

[mengeloid]

love is whatever you say it is, it is extremely likely that everyone feels the same kind of exhilaration, connection and belonging when experiencing love for another, but it is extremely nuanced for each person, and complicated to the max. by the individuals sexuality

saying 'its just genetics' is just pathetic. you could say anything was just genetics and it would be equally meaningless. genetics is a concept developed by us to help understand the extremely limited way in which we've observed some of the mechanics of organic life and can tell us VERY LITTLE about the workings of the mind/soul/being/elf/whatever

 

[infoterror]

saying 'its just genetics' is just pathetic. you could say anything was just genetics and it would be equally meaningless.

If love is genetics, everything is genetics. I think like most things it's 80% genetic, and the rest depends on how you've grown as a person and what common sense you've thus acquired.

But that's an ideal case. For most people, it's MySpace + beer + cleavage.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

For most people, it's MySpace + beer + cleavage.

in america really much more so than the rest of the world

 

[infoterror]

in america really much more so than the rest of the world

I bet it's a curve: the more democratic the country, the worse it is.

 

[derek]

I bet it's a curve: the more democratic the country, the worse it is.

Generalising a tad, huh?

 

[Susperia]

Well, America is barely Democratic anymore, so...

 

[derek]

Someone mentioned earlier on how democracy is generally a way of making people think they have all the power, but in actuality it enables them to do precisely shit. I'd agree.