DesertEyes

I think chemistry has a _lot_ to do with love. After all, we exist in a chemical "bag" that itself exists in a chemical world.

But a pot of soup on my stove is also a bag of chemicals in world of chemicals. The difference is that I can _choose_ the interpretation I want to give the chemicals. Once I have made the choice, I can direct my actions any which way I want. I can choose to direct my anger at some person on the road, or at the machines at the gym. I can choose to direct my love at a person who will not return it, or use that same love to become a better person myself.

Mike

escape artist

just my opinion, but i have lately come to the conclusion that ALL love comes from God. (we are just the conduits)

Gemini31

I used to have a really idealistic view of love when I was in my teens and twenties and I think that now that I am 31 I am closer (a little at least!) to being more realistic about it. To me it's someone who considers your feelings and is not selfish by always putting their own wants and needs above yours. Love means recognizing how good it feels inside when you make someone else happy. True love is when you can show someone the darkest aspects of who you are and what you have been though without them running for the hills scared. When you have that kind of a connection with someone, I would say that is love.

utopia

i think that its important to also remember that humans are social creatures and that we need social interaction in our lives, without which we may die, definitely as infants, or at least be seriously deprived of feeling good.

TheGirlInside

I've been thinking on this topic, and discussing it with a friend of mine...

First, IMO, Love is not a feeling, nor an emotion. Emotions are situational, and therefore, fleeting. Real Love is neither situational nor fleeting. We can feel love, but I'll get to my views on that later.

I agree that all Love truly comes from God (HP)...connecting to that source and opening up to receiving love is an individual, unique process for each of us, however. I do so by accepting and returning the love of my children, by spending time alone in nature, by caring for pets, and my expressing myself musically and poetically.

Aside: Anger is not an emotion (again, my opinion only), but rather a "mask" or "wall" we use to cover up the actual emotion. I've found that when I'm feeling angry (in my more lucid moments), it helps to imagine myself pushing aside the Anger Wall and figuring out what is/are the emotion/beliefs behind it. Many times, I've found, anger stems from hurt over unmet expectations...so then, I self-assess on my expectations of a person/situation/HP.

Ope, I think I'm getting off track. (or, am I...?) Anyway, I think chemistry has to do with hormones, attraction, the things we say to ourselves about another person (as in, "She's hot," or "he's so sweet!"). I have just recently come to realize that I do have the ability to control my chemistry (to my chagrin), especially in an inappropriate situation where I'm finding someone attractive in a romantic sense, by controlling my thoughts.

When I think of love and it brings to mind another person (like a S.O.), that is romance, not love.

Love cannot die, it cannot be damaged, because it is of God, and is therefore perfect and eternal.
But, it can be [starved and] driven away. It can be transformed and/or transferred. It can be encouraged, invited in, as well as discouraged and shut out.

When I love someone, I love them for good...I can disagree with their actions, I can see how they've hurt me, but I cannot stop loving them. I can choose to no longer have them in my life, but still have compassion for them. I believe that loving someone makes it so I can see them a little like the way God/HP sees them...beautiful because they are, including their so-called "flaws." Sometimes, what they themselves or other people see in them as flaws, are really only things that to me define that person (like having a scar on their face or something).

I see that if I can feel compassion for someone, there is love in that.

I have come to see Love as an energy...that's why I can "feel" it. (Good Vibrations, eh?)
Romance, to me, is the thoughts and actions that encourage attraction, closeness, and feeds love of two people for one another.
Compassion encourages love.
Opening oneself up to Receiving love (from individual passions like pets, nature, children, music, ) also opens one up for Giving love. And vice-versa

People tend to blame Love for terrible things in their lives...it's not Love's fault. It was the fault of the situation, the timing, the (sigh) addiction, etc...

Well, anyway, thanks for letting me yak.

DesertEyes

Wow, great thoughts there. Thanx for sharing them, given me a lot to think about.

Mike