Definition: Love

Overview
Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense interpersonal attraction ("I love my girlfriend"). This diversity of meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, even compared to other emotional states.

As an abstract concept, love usually refers to a deep, ineffable feeling of tenderly caring for another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual emotional closeness of familial and platonic love to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.

Definition
The English word "love" can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. Often, other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that English relies mainly on "love" to encapsulate; one example is the plurality of Greek words for "love." Cultural differences in conceptualizing love thus make it doubly difficult to establish any universal definition.

Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn't love. As a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly contrasted with friendship, although other definitions of the word love may be applied to close friendships in certain contexts.

When discussed in the abstract, love usually refers to interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for another person. Love often involves caring for or identifying with a person or thing, including oneself (cf. narcissism).

In addition to cross-cultural differences in understanding love, ideas about love have also changed greatly over time. Some historians date modern conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during or after the Middle Ages, although the prior existence of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love poetry.

Because of the complex and abstract nature of love, discourse on love is commonly reduced to a thought-terminating cliché, and there are a number of common proverbs regarding love, from Virgil's "Love conquers all" to The Beatles' "All you need is love." Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of "absolute value," as opposed to relative value. Theologian Thomas Jay Oord said that to love is to "act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others, to promote overall well-being."

Interpersonal Love
Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those feelings of love that are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships. Such love might exist between family members, friends, and couples. There are also a number of psychological disorders related to love, such as erotomania.

Throughout history, philosophy and religion have done the most speculation on the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a great deal on the subject. In recent years, the sciences of evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have added to the understanding of the nature and function of love.

How to Express and Receive Love

Love is one of the most essential components of life. All human beings and animals need it to feel important, be healthy, live for a long time and thrive. To enjoy an existence comprised of love, you must earn love and often show strangers, your relatives, your pets and your friends you love and appreciate them. You will learn how to express your love to others and receive love from them.

One easy thing you can do to receive love is to buy a cat or dog. Pets are loyal and they love you, especially if you treat them properly. To show your pet you love it and make your life more satisfying, bond with your pet by petting it. You can even hug and kiss your dog or cat as long as it does not mind it. This bonding will make both of you happier and healthier.

There are better gestures to use to express and receive love than a fist bump, hand shake or “high five”. Hug as many people as you can. If you are married, kiss your spouse at least once a day. When the two of you are in private, it is okay to have a good embrace and kiss for more than a few seconds.

Maintain the right attitude around others. Smile and laugh. If you avoid frowning and looking sad, you will show others you care about making things pleasant for them and improve your chances of receiving love.

We tend to be recipients of what we give. To earn love, you must show others love and respect. Treating everyone with respect and compassion can go a long way for you in regard to being loved and expressing love.

Spend quality time with your family, pets and friends. Play games and do other things you each enjoy together. Wrestle and run around with them. By doing these things, you will show the people in your life that they mean a lot to you while developing and maintaining a strong relationship.

Show affection and be affectionate. Rub and tickle your pet’s belly. Let your pet lick your face. Tickle your kids and siblings. Say to your friends, “I love you like a brother or sister.”

What else can you do to express and receive love? Express appreciation to the people in your life by thanking them for what they do for you, themselves and others. Let them know when they are doing a good job. Compliment them on the good things they do and wear.

Make people you do not know feel better when you encounter them. Smile at them and return their smiles – you just might gain a friend doing this.

To express and receive love, avoid becoming furious and going into a tantrum around others. Being a hothead can turn others off.

Show your friends and relatives you care about them by having empathy toward their feelings. When they look sad, ask, “What’s wrong?”

Employ these ideas to express love and receive more of it!