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version of the Heart , a frequent modern symbol of love.]] Love has several different meanings in the English language, from something that gives a little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something that one would die for ( Patriotism , Pair-bonding ). It can describe an intense feeling of Affection , an Emotion or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. As an experience usually felt by a person for another person, it is commonly considered impossible to describe. Dictionaries tend to define ''love'' as deep affection or fondness.''Oxford Illustrated American Dictionary'' (1998) + ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary'' (2000). In colloquial use, according to polled opinion, the most favoured definitions of ''love'' include the words: '04 Poll of 250 Chicagoans – Institute of Human Thermodynamics (Chicago) # Life - someone or something for which you would give your life. # Care - someone or something about which you care more than yourself. # Friendship - favoured interpersonal associations or relationships. # Union - a synergistic connection, as in the perfect union of two souls. # Family - people related via common ancestry, religion, or race, etc. The concept of love, however, is subject to debate. Some deny the existence of love, calling it a recently invented abstraction. Moreover, approximately 13 percent of cultures reportedly have no word for love.1 Others maintain that love exists but is undefinable; being a quantity which is Spiritual , Metaphysical , or Philosophical in nature, etc. Perhaps due to its emotional primacy, love is one of the most common themes in art. OVERVIEW Love might best be defined as acting intentionally, in sympathetic response to others to promote overall well-being. Or to put it simply, "love responds intentionally to promote well-being" ( Thomas Jay Oord ). Love promotes overall flourishing, but often focuses on those close at hand. Cultural differences make any universal definition of love difficult to establish. See the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis . Expressions of love may include the love for a Soul or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, et cetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. Love is essentially an abstract concept, easier to experience than to explain. Many believe, as stated originally by Virgil , that "''Love conquers all''". A good poetic overview as to the essential nature of love, is found in the novel SoulSongs by Sevi Regis : "We know that love exists, not only as a feeling, as an act of one's will, or as a relational status, but also as a substance. How do we know? Because people are moved and changed by it. It keeps things alive, and without it, they die. It makes them grow, and without it, they are stunted. It is the most inspiring force on earth: the desire to love and be loved. It is a nutrient for the heart, and every other part of a living being. Everything that lives responds to love and rejoices when in union with it. It is also an eternal substance that once created, can never die, even though it may go into a sleep state, it can always be reawakened, as the Spring. It has its own language and expresses itself in poetic mysteries, ubiquitous to all things, for those who can find it. It is a fire that combusts within a person and grows from that explosion, a body of love, an essence, mist, or flame, that cannot dwell alone." ETYMOLOGY In origins, approximately, the word ''love'' is a grammatical evolution of a 12th century Indo-Iranian word set to characterize a state, relationship, or situation which is: According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the English word "love" is derived more immediately from Old English lufu, luvu, or lubu, which derived from luba of Old High German . The luba of Old High German derived from leubh, lubet, and libet of Sanskrit and Old Aryan, meaning “pleasing.”
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SCIENTIFIC VIEWS See Also: Love (scientific views) Throughout history, predominately, Philosophy and Religion have speculated the most into the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of Psychology has written a great deal on the subject. Recently, however, the sciences of Evolutionary Psychology , Evolutionary Biology , Anthropology , Neuroscience , and Biology have begun to take centre stage in discussion as to the nature and function of love. Biological models of sex tend to see it as a mammalian drive, just like Hunger or Thirst . Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. Famous psychologist Steinberg explains that love has three different components. Intimacy is a form where two people can share secrets and various details of their personal life. Intimacy is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment on the other hand is the expectation that the relationship is going to last forever. This factor of love is shown in empty love (ex. when two people stay together for the kids). The last and most common from of love is simply sex, or passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation love, as well as romantic love. There are probably elements of truth in both views — certainly love is influenced by Hormone s (such as Oxytocin ) and Pheromone s, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by one’s conceptions of love. Hence, from time immemorial, science, from Naturalistic Poetry to MRI Neurochemistry , has debated the nature of love. CULTURAL VIEWS See Also: Love (cultural views) Although there exist numerous cross-cultural unified similarities as to the nature and definition of love, as in there being a thread of commitment, tenderness, and passion common to all human existence, there are differences. For example, in India, with arranged marriages commonplace, it is believed that love is not a necessary ingredient in the initial stages of marriage – it is something that can be created during the marriage; whereas in the United States, by comparison, love is seen as a necessary prerequisite to marriage. RELIGIOUS VIEWS See Also: Love (religious views) Whether religious love can be expressed in similar terms to ''interpersonal love'' is a matter for philosophical debate. Religious 'love' might be considered a euphemistic term, more closely describing feelings of deference or Acquiescence . Most religions use the term love to express the Devotion the follower has to their deity, who may be a living Guru or religious teacher, as in the Bhakti traditions of Asia. This love can be expressed by Prayer , service, good deeds, and personal Sacrifice . Reciprocally, the followers may believe that the deity loves the followers and all of creation. Some traditions encourage the development of passionate love in the believer for the deity. Within Christianity, however, love between spouses is defined as "an emotional attachment and affection shared between two individuals (biblically: male and female); which a person saves for their specific significant other only, and for that emotion to remain for as long as both of their existences shall be." SEE ALSO Human love
Other types of love (philias)
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