Love is a many splendid thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.
All you need is Love?
If you don't recognize the reference, and you haven't figured it out by the picture, it’s from Moulin Rouge, one of my all time favorite musicals in the history of the UNIVERSE!
What is this musical about, you ask?
One word: Love.
The greatest thing you'll ever know is just to love, and be loved in return. (Moulin Rouge AND the legendary Nat King Cole)
Despite my slightly pessimistic nature and my occasional frustration with the opposite sex I have to admit that I am a believer in love. A hopeless romantic. I love love. I love being in love and I don't care what it does to me. (Thank you, The Format!).
What I've been contemplating lately though is....why? And what is love anyway, except just another four letter word?
Romantic love has been defined in so many contexts: to name a few, scientific, religious, philosophical....
So who is right? Or are all they all right?
The scientific view of love stems from reproduction. Humans were made to mate and we want to mate with the best person possible to make sure our offspring survives. Scientists have studied certain aspects of the senses that draw one another together. Studies on pheromones have established that identifying a partner's smell can drawn one to that person. There are also certain body shapes and physical traits that are linked to fertility (broad hips or large breasts for women and broad chest and shoulders for men or a deep voice). All of these things that attract people to each other lead to the actual experience of spending time with each other and forming an attachment. This attachment is formed through oxytocin, which if you've read my previous blog posts you are familiar with. Oxytocin is the attachment hormone - the all-powerful hormone that is used in many human interactions. It helps in forming an attachment between partners in an intimate relationship and creates an everlasting bond between mother and a child. However, oxytocin is also so powerful that a stranger who merely walks into its line of fire can suddenly seem appealing. (Read More!) So basically science explains love by referring to certain processes that occur in our brain. But how reliable is this because our hormones can trick us into falling in love?! The whole idea makes complete biological sense but it personally makes me feel like a lab rat. On the other hand, I may just be hanging on to my idealized notions about love instead of recognizing what it really is.
Religion has attempted to explain love in many ways. We have the beautiful explanation of love from I Corinthians in the Bible (Read more..). Love is patient...love is kind..dot dot dot. There is a similar verse in the Koran that explains God's love and what he loves but there is nothing that I could find that defines love. It states, ”God loves those who do good" (3:148), "the pure and clean" (2:222), "the patient" (3:146). The definition of love in Buddhism is wanting others to be happy. It is unconditional and requires courage and acceptance. Many religions also discuss different types of love such as friendship love ("philia" in the New Testament) or sexual love (Kama in Hinduism/Buddhism) and God's love. I can definitely appreciate the traits and aspects that are used to describe love in different religions. But does that really DEFINE love? Maybe love is an experience that can't be defined in human words?
From the philosophical view of Plato, love is considered to be something higher than physical needs. Romantic love is a desire for beauty that transcends all earthly experiences. Aristotle posed the idea of "one soul, two bodies" that led to the modern idea of soul mates: everyone lives as half a soul until they meet "the one" which makes them whole. That notion is very appealing to the hopeless romantic in me. But, really? My rational self kicks in and thinks, "So there is only ONE other person out there for everyone in the world?" Way too much pressure!
So....romantic love: I've done research, I've experienced it first hand (well, at least I think I have), I've seen my friends fall in love but I still can't define it. I know it's a feeling. I know it can consume your life. I know that it's what so many people in the world strive to find.
Maybe love and knowing whether or not you are "in love" with someone is subjective for everyone? Maybe there is isn't one definition of love and everyone experiences it differently?
I know I said this is a blog for "maybes" but I may have over-did it in this entry.
Maybe (!) that is what is so intriguing about love - the mystery of it all. I'd like to hear your thoughts, as always!
All you need is Love?
If you don't recognize the reference, and you haven't figured it out by the picture, it’s from Moulin Rouge, one of my all time favorite musicals in the history of the UNIVERSE!
What is this musical about, you ask?
One word: Love.
The greatest thing you'll ever know is just to love, and be loved in return. (Moulin Rouge AND the legendary Nat King Cole)
Despite my slightly pessimistic nature and my occasional frustration with the opposite sex I have to admit that I am a believer in love. A hopeless romantic. I love love. I love being in love and I don't care what it does to me. (Thank you, The Format!).
What I've been contemplating lately though is....why? And what is love anyway, except just another four letter word?
Romantic love has been defined in so many contexts: to name a few, scientific, religious, philosophical....
So who is right? Or are all they all right?
The scientific view of love stems from reproduction. Humans were made to mate and we want to mate with the best person possible to make sure our offspring survives. Scientists have studied certain aspects of the senses that draw one another together. Studies on pheromones have established that identifying a partner's smell can drawn one to that person. There are also certain body shapes and physical traits that are linked to fertility (broad hips or large breasts for women and broad chest and shoulders for men or a deep voice). All of these things that attract people to each other lead to the actual experience of spending time with each other and forming an attachment. This attachment is formed through oxytocin, which if you've read my previous blog posts you are familiar with. Oxytocin is the attachment hormone - the all-powerful hormone that is used in many human interactions. It helps in forming an attachment between partners in an intimate relationship and creates an everlasting bond between mother and a child. However, oxytocin is also so powerful that a stranger who merely walks into its line of fire can suddenly seem appealing. (Read More!) So basically science explains love by referring to certain processes that occur in our brain. But how reliable is this because our hormones can trick us into falling in love?! The whole idea makes complete biological sense but it personally makes me feel like a lab rat. On the other hand, I may just be hanging on to my idealized notions about love instead of recognizing what it really is.
Religion has attempted to explain love in many ways. We have the beautiful explanation of love from I Corinthians in the Bible (Read more..). Love is patient...love is kind..dot dot dot. There is a similar verse in the Koran that explains God's love and what he loves but there is nothing that I could find that defines love. It states, ”God loves those who do good" (3:148), "the pure and clean" (2:222), "the patient" (3:146). The definition of love in Buddhism is wanting others to be happy. It is unconditional and requires courage and acceptance. Many religions also discuss different types of love such as friendship love ("philia" in the New Testament) or sexual love (Kama in Hinduism/Buddhism) and God's love. I can definitely appreciate the traits and aspects that are used to describe love in different religions. But does that really DEFINE love? Maybe love is an experience that can't be defined in human words?
From the philosophical view of Plato, love is considered to be something higher than physical needs. Romantic love is a desire for beauty that transcends all earthly experiences. Aristotle posed the idea of "one soul, two bodies" that led to the modern idea of soul mates: everyone lives as half a soul until they meet "the one" which makes them whole. That notion is very appealing to the hopeless romantic in me. But, really? My rational self kicks in and thinks, "So there is only ONE other person out there for everyone in the world?" Way too much pressure!
So....romantic love: I've done research, I've experienced it first hand (well, at least I think I have), I've seen my friends fall in love but I still can't define it. I know it's a feeling. I know it can consume your life. I know that it's what so many people in the world strive to find.
Maybe love and knowing whether or not you are "in love" with someone is subjective for everyone? Maybe there is isn't one definition of love and everyone experiences it differently?
I know I said this is a blog for "maybes" but I may have over-did it in this entry.
Maybe (!) that is what is so intriguing about love - the mystery of it all. I'd like to hear your thoughts, as always!
I think I'm going to go watch Moulin Rouge now <3
Until next time, lovers!
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