Love. How do you define it?

[PhilosophyMind]

Love is love. But how do you go about defining it? Love is seperate from lust, is it not? Or is it one in the same? How do you tell love apart from lust? Or from like?

Haven't posted very much in a while and I haven't posted a new topic in a long while. Eat it up. =d

Posed By durrypoo

Quote:

does anybody else consider that not only an emotional bound, acceptance and respect, but also physical attraction is an important factor in LOVING another person? and why do you consider so?

 

[--star--girl--]

I think that lust and love are often mixed together, but I don't think that they actually are the same. Many people seem to mistake lust for love and then later realize that their lust for each other has disappeared and there's nothing left between them.

I don't think I can really define love, except for that it is a feeling of deep caring and affection. I love my parents. I would give up my life for my parents.  

[Eilea]

I couldn't define love if I tried. I can define what I think is love: the willingness to give your life for a person. And the want to spend forever with them. (Well, the second part would have to be molded to fit the 'type' of love).
The first thing that went through my mind when I was reading the first couple sentences of your post was that this was going to be one of those "Is love just a chemical reaction?" threads. I've actually been wondering that. With all emotions. Because everything in life is based off of chemicals, yet some people see in them some higher power or meaning or whatever.
I think lust and love are confused too much (and I am no exception). However, I think you need to get them confused at least once or twice in your life before you figure out the difference. And what you want in life and who you are, etc.
But, I'm just rambling...*shuts up*  

[Faroresama]

Fantastic topic. Umm...I read once that there are three kinds of love. Eros, Philia, and Agape.
Eros: Normal, common 'love', like when your friend gets a new boy/girlfriend that have a nice relationship, but not 'in love'.
Philia: "Brotherly love". This can be the kind of love between really good friends, where you care about them, but again, aren't 'in love'.
Agape: A very serious love, where the person would do almost anything for the other. It can be 'soul mate' type love, but also things like a mother and her child. There is no doubting a mother would die for her baby.

That's really all I know. Philia isn't trivial, in fact it can be pretty serious, but there's no attraction like in agape.

Someone I knew last year made a very interesting statement on love. (this relates to love vs. lust)
He said that when you care about someone, it doesn't mean anything if you just say 'i love you' but do not do anything to consummate that love, as in a kiss or lovemaking, etc. Here that is not lust, because the actions stem from a beginning feeling of love.
I always remember this because loving is really about showing it, not saying it. "All talk and no action" is no way of proving anything.

Make any sense?  

[PhilosophyMind]

Faroresama

Fantastic topic. Umm...I read once that there are three kinds of love. Eros, Philia, and Agape.
Eros: Normal, common 'love', like when your friend gets a new boy/girlfriend that have a nice relationship, but not 'in love'.
Philia: "Brotherly love". This can be the kind of love between really good friends, where you care about them, but again, aren't 'in love'.
Agape: A very serious love, where the person would do almost anything for the other. It can be 'soul mate' type love, but also things like a mother and her child. There is no doubting a mother would die for her baby.

That's really all I know. Philia isn't trivial, in fact it can be pretty serious, but there's no attraction like in agape.

Someone I knew last year made a very interesting statement on love. (this relates to love vs. lust)
He said that when you care about someone, it doesn't mean anything if you just say 'i love you' but do not do anything to consummate that love, as in a kiss or lovemaking, etc. Here that is not lust, because the actions stem from a beginning feeling of love.
I always remember this because loving is really about showing it, not saying it. "All talk and no action" is no way of proving anything.

Make any sense?

Agape..that would make sense. My little brother went to a daycare once named Agape. It's a really nice facilulty...  

[MattsGirl88]

Eilea

I couldn't define love if I tried. I can define what I think is love: the willingness to give your life for a person. And the want to spend forever with them. (Well, the second part would have to be molded to fit the 'type' of love).
The first thing that went through my mind when I was reading the first couple sentences of your post was that this was going to be one of those "Is love just a chemical reaction?" threads. I've actually been wondering that. With all emotions. Because everything in life is based off of chemicals, yet some people see in them some higher power or meaning or whatever.
I think lust and love are confused too much (and I am no exception). However, I think you need to get them confused at least once or twice in your life before you figure out the difference. And what you want in life and who you are, etc.
But, I'm just rambling...*shuts up*

well not necessarily. i would give up my life if it meant saving someone else's. i dont know why. i feel like if i died saving someone elses life then i fulfilled my lifes purpose and i have done something good, im not sure its agape but i know that its philia.  

[MattsGirl88]

Faroresama

Fantastic topic. Umm...I read once that there are three kinds of love. Eros, Philia, and Agape.
Eros: Normal, common 'love', like when your friend gets a new boy/girlfriend that have a nice relationship, but not 'in love'.
Philia: "Brotherly love". This can be the kind of love between really good friends, where you care about them, but again, aren't 'in love'.
Agape: A very serious love, where the person would do almost anything for the other. It can be 'soul mate' type love, but also things like a mother and her child. There is no doubting a mother would die for her baby.

That's really all I know. Philia isn't trivial, in fact it can be pretty serious, but there's no attraction like in agape.

Someone I knew last year made a very interesting statement on love. (this relates to love vs. lust)
He said that when you care about someone, it doesn't mean anything if you just say 'i love you' but do not do anything to consummate that love, as in a kiss or lovemaking, etc. Here that is not lust, because the actions stem from a beginning feeling of love.
I always remember this because loving is really about showing it, not saying it. "All talk and no action" is no way of proving anything.

Make any sense?

i have felt agape for someone. its a weird feeling. when it happens you'll know.  

[Faroresama]

D-Rok 9376

Faroresama

Fantastic topic. Umm...I read once that there are three kinds of love. Eros, Philia, and Agape.
Eros: Normal, common 'love', like when your friend gets a new boy/girlfriend that have a nice relationship, but not 'in love'.
Philia: "Brotherly love". This can be the kind of love between really good friends, where you care about them, but again, aren't 'in love'.
Agape: A very serious love, where the person would do almost anything for the other. It can be 'soul mate' type love, but also things like a mother and her child. There is no doubting a mother would die for her baby.

That's really all I know. Philia isn't trivial, in fact it can be pretty serious, but there's no attraction like in agape.

Someone I knew last year made a very interesting statement on love. (this relates to love vs. lust)
He said that when you care about someone, it doesn't mean anything if you just say 'i love you' but do not do anything to consummate that love, as in a kiss or lovemaking, etc. Here that is not lust, because the actions stem from a beginning feeling of love.
I always remember this because loving is really about showing it, not saying it. "All talk and no action" is no way of proving anything.

Make any sense?

i have felt agape for someone. its a weird feeling. when it happens you'll know.

awww....yup.  

[Gloomcookie the Vicious]

Aristophanes in the Symposium kinda style. Well...an adaptation of it. I think that when two people are in love, they create something outside themselves, which isn't necessarily limited to procreation, but includes it. There is each individual and this "thing" that they nurture, and make sacrifices for. This instead is what is made when the two "halves" come together, because I don't believe that a person is a half in the first place...they need to be whole in order to have this "thing" with someone. Eeh...still kinda developing it. It's been a long day of philosophy classes...::sigh::  

[candyleigh]

I think love is just there. No real defination.
Like when you ask your mom why you are here and she replies, "why not?"  

[PhilosophyMind]

candyleigh

I think love is just there. No real defination.
Like when you ask your mom why you are here and she replies, "why not?"

Sometimes moms do that because they either A.) don't feel like answer questions right now, or B.) they have yet to think up an answer they feel is a sufficient response to said question and don't want to disappoint their child.


But then, maybe that's just my mum.  

[Durrypoo Ov Fire]

Although I have been trying to find a definition for love that sounds epic and beautiful, I can't... reallistically what I find love to be is, an unconditional feeling of deep affection, admiration, will to help and desire for a person, wich drives us to irrationality and most of the time we can't be objective and see when it is not reciprocal and should move on... it is not reasoned, therefore a justification other than "because I feel like it" is not neccessary. smile  

[AsellusDycroft]

Though this is an older post, I wanted to say something at least... Call it a meager attempt at initiation?

I've got mixed feelings about it. The love between 'lovers', to me, seems quite chemical. There are plenty of hormonal imbalances that can cause symptoms that people associate with the "soul mate" magnetism, including obsession. Triggering the imbalance is the fun part. I don't believe in soul mates, only in compatibility. From there, I suppose things could escalate.

Love between family members and friends, I was thinking, can be perceived in endless ways. Some like everyone else here was saying, some different. Scattered thoughts, my brain meats are having difficulty keeping up with my anxiety to portray the point well x_x;.

A deep form of selfishness could explain some aspect of it. Having the comfort of a familiar environment (in this case, concerning individuals) and maintaining it creates a willingness to defend it. Fear of change in losing the individuals, and no longer having their entities to themselves, causes concern and greif. Animals, like elephants, have shown behavior emotionally similar to ours. I wouldn't be surprised if our innate instincts adapted with the rapid change in human lifestyle.

These are just thoughts I was entertaining, though. I don't feel solidly set to them, and there are just as many aspects they do not cover as well as the ones they do. Hmmm. I'm a little tired.  

[nightlight]

while i'm not awake enough to really post anything too clever, i would like to ask, as a sort of added topic, is there only one significant other in the world for each person?

i'll try to post my thoughts tomorrow in a more clear fashion >.<  

[Durrypoo Ov Fire]

nightlight

while i'm not awake enough to really post anything too clever, i would like to ask, as a sort of added topic, is there only one significant other in the world for each person?

i'll try to post my thoughts tomorrow in a more clear fashion >.<

of course not, there will be as many as you want them to be...

also I would add another very interesting question... does anybody else consider that not only an emotional bound, acceptance and respect, but also physical attraction is an important factor in LOVING another person? and why do you consider so?