What is Love? Some would say, Love is The Force that gives birth to all others. Others would say, Love is The bond of two souls with each other. Still others believe that Love is All Lovingness – all have been and all will be.
Love is a term used to describe the powerful human emotion, which exists in all humans for as long as humans live. Love encompasses a spectrum of positive and deep emotional states, from a purest, romantic ideal, the highest intimate form, to the most casual, companionate love. As humans mature, they can move into more passionate, all-encompassing romantic relationships. Love is the force which compels people to be their best, and is the driving force behind romantic relationships.
According to recent science, Love has a lot to do with the brain regions associated with emotion. Our brains contain a great deal of what is called “amygdala” neurons, which were first discovered to be critical in anxiety and depression disorders. When we experience strong emotions, the amygdala sends a message to our midbrain, which creates an abundance of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Dopamine increases the amount of pleasure created by a reward and decreases the amount of pain created by a threat. In addition, when we are in a romantic relationship, this same reward pathway becomes activated, and our brains are drawn to that sensation.
Passion is also closely related to romantic relationships. People often confuse passion and romantic love. However, unlike passionate love, which is driven by intense feelings, companionship (sometimes referred to as platonic love) is often characterized by a passive, even unexplainable feelings. These feelings occur in the absence of any sexual attraction, and are the result of feelings of connection and bonding with another person. This type of emotional connection is much more similar to what is felt during a romantic relationship than it is to platonic love.
When two people enter into a romantic relationship, the primary bond they form is that of affection. They spend a great deal of time together doing things like going for a walk or reading books. In many cases, one party feels very special about being with the other, and their love is very real and deep. The other partner often feels the same way. However, while one partner may crave sexual intimacy as much as the other, these feelings are fleeting and only exist for a short period of time.
This is because unlike passionate love, the bonds created in romantic relationships are not based on lust. People often confuse romance with attachment; however, these feelings are very different. Attachment is something that is more mental than physical. It is something that is created by a feeling of deep, unmet need. It is not the result of having been denied the right to an experience.
In romantic relationships, the bond is much deeper. There is a true emotional connection. It is not the result of someone else being attracted to them. It is not even based on physical attraction. True love comes from within a person and is given unconditionally. One another shares this love and understands each other’s needs at the same time.
True love is always happy to see the other person happy. It will never feel jealous of the good things the other person does. It always puts the other person’s happiness before its own. True love is generous and is ready and available to share the good and bad times. No matter where one stands in their relationship, true love will always find a way to be there for the other person. It will understand the conflicts and seek out solutions that will make everyone happy.