What actually is "love"?

The Emperor's Lounge
#1

Baby don’t hurt me, I know…

Seriously though, what is it? An invented idea? I kinda think so tbh. It’s just a release of chemicals in the brain/body that produce feelings we label as love. I mean, right? There is no meaning to anything except the meaning we each individually give it, it has to be the same with “love” too.

Its definition seems to change depending on the time period and location. Nowadays in the west, it seems like mostly a tool for marketing/business.

I guess it’s a deep fondness, gratitude, etc for someone or something. The reason I’m even asking this is because reading through LBFH’s sales page had me thinking, “do I even know what love is?” It’s spoken about in such an objective way, as if it’s really a thing you can touch.

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#2

I know we aren’t supposed to get too esoteric or religious but I can’t answer this question without doing so.

But from my personal experience and my personal dive into different esoteric reads, and my personal answer: love is the frequency of god.

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#3

When love dives into the deep end of a relationship, it becomes something far richer than just emotion—it evolves into a profound connection built on shared experiences, trust, and mutual growth.

It’s not just about staying together; it’s about growing together and holding space for one another’s dreams and fears. You connect not only through shared values but also through deep conversations and emotional resonance. You inspire each other to become better—not out of pressure, but from love.

It becomes confusing when we try to make sense of something meant to be experienced, not analyzed.

The bond that builds not just a relationship, but a legacy.

#4

I was coming in to say this. damn.

I mostly subscribe to love as Ayn Rand talks about it. Love is you recognizing your highest values in others. Resonance.

#5
#6

I like this definition!

Love is a frequency. It’s not emotions, it’s not thoughts, it’s something that originates beyond human traits, but also exists and expresses itself in human thoughts and emotions.

It’s a force, a will that drives creation, it’s life itself, it moves it and sustains it.

It’s a lot more than any word can describe, and a lot simpler.

#7

In its unconditional form (which most humans are inherently incapable of), its simply acceptance.

It´s fundamentally non-judgmental

No more, no less.

Not

“you are good/bad (bc of this and that)”

but

“you are x/y/z. I may agree/don´t agree with you; but in either case I recognize and respect your role in this interconnected world.”

It´s understanding that every single human, even (and especially) those we experience betrayal and abuse from serve(d) their purpose, as their disruptive nature (potentially) triggers massive growth for their environments.

(That is at least, until more humans grow out of some of the collectively upon agreed realitys, and manage to abandon the old paradigms altogether, but that is a whole different topic, and not suited for this place.)

It´s also understanding that you have the right to enforce boundaries, if necessary with corrective force, “violence”. It´s not being a doormat, it´s not self-sacrifice, and it sure as hell isn´t this mystical, romanticized, “lose yourself/there is no self” crap you see in people that practice spiritual bypassing.

#8

All ideas are invented. The hope is that in addition to being invented, they may also roughly correspond to some experienced or existent phenomena.

So that’s kind of the question in my view:

‘What if any phenomena in my experience correspond to this concept of Love?’

If you’re looking at your experience with curiosity, exploration, and openness, you’re already winning.

The particular labels you choose to apply to what you find seem like more of an afterthought to me.

I’ve definitely been finding that love as a concept has been becoming more and more salient to me.

For me, LOVE is including you as real in my world.

You’re not an NPC, you’re a protagonist.

But that’s just my version.

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#9

While consisting of attributes that can be viewed objectively, in its “purest” expression it is indeed a
very beautiful thing to experience, give and receive.

Have a look at this module.

#10

You will be closer to understanding love by listening this song than any of these definitions.

Once you define the undefineable you will be missing the mark. We all know love is beauty and warmth, and many more things but the real meaning of these words can only be understood through experiencing the essence of it.

#11

I like these! Wonderfully said

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#12

It’s quite simple. Just a biological process.

From a scientific standpoint, love is a complex interplay of biological and psychological processes, involving various hormones and brain regions that drive feelings of attraction, attachment, and bonding. It’s not just an emotion, but also a drive, rooted in our evolutionary history and influencing social behavior.

Key scientific aspects of love:

  • Hormones and Neurotransmitters:

Love involves the release of hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, which are associated with pleasure, bonding, and attachment.

  • Dopamine: Plays a role in feelings of reward and motivation, often associated with the initial attraction phase.

  • Oxytocin: Known as the “love hormone,” it promotes bonding and social connection.

  • Vasopressin: Linked to pair bonding and long-term commitment.

  • Brain Regions:

Love activates specific brain regions, including the reward system (mesolimbic dopamine system), which is involved in pleasure and motivation.

  • Evolutionary Perspective:

Love can be seen as an instinctual drive that promotes pair bonding and ensures the survival of offspring.

  • Multiple Components:

Love encompasses various components, including attraction, sexual desire, and attachment, which may involve distinct but overlapping neural and hormonal processes.

  • Social and Psychological Impact:

Love significantly impacts social interactions, cognitive processes, and overall well-being.

#13

Nice endocrinal reference-points.

But also statements like the above give ‘science’ a bad name.

Science does not now nor has it ever purported to offer a comprehensive definition of love.

What it can do and does beautifully is to identify and analyze biochemical concommitants of love, such as those you have listed here.

From a purely scientific standpoint, the question ‘what is love?’ would not really make sense.

It’s not the appropriate tool for the job. Once a space for inquiry has been sufficiently defined, the scientific method can test the quality and coherence of the elements that comprise the space. It is generally not meant for creating new spaces of inquiry.

As currently defined and practiced, the scientific method excels at Testing and Extending.

The process of Creating demands other resources.

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#14

It seems like science is rather answering “what are the out of the ordinary signs that the body does specifically when someone is in love and how does it affect us even further”

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#15

Yes, and in order for these signs to be scientifically identified and analyzed, we must first have a concept of some phenomenon that we think of as “love”.

You could come up with a concept that you called “Quirdatqpalk” (maybe it refers to the specific constellation of sensations, desires, and actions involved in shooting a target from the back of a moving horse) and if you defined it well enough, science would be excellently qualified to test the construct Quirdatqpalk and to see what situational, organismic, and biochemical markers contribute. to Quirdatqpalk.

But the scientific method will not generate such a concept by itself. Science is for testing, analyzing, and extending. It does not create nor does it ascribe significance.

Similarly, the most sophisticated camera in the world may be able to create precise 3-dimensional replicas of a mountain landscape. But it’s not going to generate a new mountain.

This is the difference between Science (the application of exacting, bias-resistant methods of hypothesis-testing and analysis) and Scientism (the creative application of scientific-sounding concepts, frameworks, and linguistic forms to express what are basically spiritual, mythological, or personal expressions of reality). Scientism is basically just one more spiritualistic belief-system or ideology. It just happens to be a fairly popular one at this historical moment.

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#16

Wow!!! That’s so cool!!!

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#17

Love is a paradox.

It can be tender and rough.

It can be kind and harsh.

It can be patient and unforgiving.

It can be innocent and uncomfortable.

Because Love is the main substance of Life which cannot be contained and throw in a preconceived box.

Love is the Ultimate Mystery.

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#18

Love is seeing your own divine in other. This was from someone I consider very wise.

#19

Consider the deeper connection between love, magnetism and gravity.

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#20

Maybe your intuition is guiding you to try out LBFH and find out what love means to you.
It’s such a difficult question to answer, but love has to be felt, not described

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