NationStates Jolt Archive

I don't know if there have been other threads with the same topic, but do you think love is real? Is love a true emotion that is so wonderful that it would make us happy, or is it just something people came up with to overshadow their loneliness?

I assume you are single?

I assume you are single?

Yes. Why?

sure its real

you love your mother dont you? maybe you love your dog...

will it make you happy? will it last forever? will your beloved love you back forever?

who the hell knows. its a risk you take.

in alot of ways you are clueless until get your heart ripped out by failed love. after THAT you know what you are really risking when you let someone else into your heart.

Yes. Why?
Because you dont know how great it is to love someone. If your questioning whether its real or not, you never felt it. Love is very, very real.

It exists. It is basically an inbuilt drug-like system of the brain, with the purpose of keeping people together (long enough) to procreate and possibly take care of their offspring. Just like many drugs, it has a nasty withdrawal, of which some effects typical to drug withdrawal can be seen on a brain activity scan.

I've never been in a romantic relationship, so I can't really make a judgement about love yet. Ask me in about 30 years, when my sister will allow me to date.

Love is real. And a real bitch. It has good and bad points. Romantic love anyway.

Love is real.

Love isn't an emotion. It's a spiritual connection.

Love is real. A real pain in the ass.

Love exists, but as someone said, it is a construct to aid the contruction of relationships to encourage cooperation, protection and reproduction, all which help maintain the existance of the human race.

So it aint anything special in a spiritual sense, but doesnt mean I dont want some.

one-sided love sucks ass :( .

one-sided love sucks ass :( .
You must be really fleible then:p

I know i'm playing devil's advocate here, but what if love was not real? Because people have defined love as hormones playing tricks on us and making us believe that love is more than just another bodily function. So why do we need love when all that's needed to continue the reproduction of the specie is lust (from the biological point of view)?

You must be really fleible then:p
wha. . ?

I think the problem is that when we hear the word love, our first instinct is to think of nothing but romantic love, but that's not the only kind that exists. We may question whether or not we are romantically in love with someone, but i don't think you'll find many people questioning whether or not they really love their children, or their parents, or their friends, etc. In my opinion, if you have to question whether or not you're in love, then you aren't, because when you are, you know. It sure as hell feels real, that's enough for me to believe that it is.

Oh, love is very real. Its the fascinating result (like all things) of a series of chemical reactions in the brain that result in a tendency for further chemical reaction to encourage further interaction with a particular other person, while suppressing other reactions that might deterr one from further interaction. A very, very highly evolved sex drive/encourager of community (and family) interaction. Great survival trait.

I know i'm playing devil's advocate here, but what if love was not real? Because people have defined love as hormones playing tricks on us and making us believe that love is more than just another bodily function. So why do we need love when all that's needed to continue the reproduction of the specie is lust (from the biological point of view)?
romantic love is for pair bonding. to keep a couple together when the woman is pregnant, nursing, or just bitchy. to keep the man around when the baby cries constantly for 4 months.

if it was just reproduction we could learn a lesson from oak trees.

Love isn't an emotion. It's a spiritual connection.
i'd nearly agree with that. love is more than an emotion - more than just chemicals and latent biology designed to further the existance of the species. love is a deep connection, a sharing of person, willingly, knowingly, wantingly (if thats a word) - maybe its spiritual, but its a true understanding and connection between two people, of one sort or another, nonetheless

i haven't had all that long an experience with romantic love, but any love (like that which one feels for ones parents) is all that too... romantic love may simply be more intense, or be more sexual in nature, or any number of other differences that i'm too tired to contemplate right now

I know i'm playing devil's advocate here, but what if love was not real? Because people have defined love as hormones playing tricks on us and making us believe that love is more than just another bodily function. So why do we need love when all that's needed to continue the reproduction of the specie is lust (from the biological point of view)?

Because love fills more roles than just reproduction. It makes us care for the childern that are produced, meaning we look after them, and teach them how to live. Means we form bonds with people that give a stable environment for those children to grow up in. Those same bonds mean we are more likely to cooperate in certain tasks, and help protect each other (and less likely to kill each other too I guess). All these factors add to the likelyhood of humans beings continuing. That cant be done by lust alone.

I'd say there's probably a difference between the bullshit known as "love" and the normal stuff known as "attachment."

i'd nearly agree with that. love is more than an emotion - more than just chemicals and latent biology designed to further the existance of the species. love is a deep connection, a sharing of person, willingly, knowingly, wantingly (if thats a word) - maybe its spiritual, but its a true understanding and connection between two people, of one sort or another, nonetheless

do you have any empirical data to prove that though? I don't have a problem with people who believe it, but spirituality seems like a bunch of hogwash to me. Meh, I'm cynical anyway.

Depends on how you define "love".
A chemical imbalance in your brain that makes you attached to someone?
Or a magical connection between two people that was just " meant to be"?

The first one exists, it's a pain in the arse and only temporary,
the second one doesn't.

I don't know if there have been other threads with the same topic, but do you think love is real? Is love a true emotion that is so wonderful that it would make us happy, or is it just something people came up with to overshadow their loneliness?

Before we analyse a particular concept, we need a solid definition of what it actually is. Give me a definition, in words, of what you think love is.

True Love is real and excists. Its just really hard to find, and once you find it, its really hard to keep.

Unless, you actually find someone who puts effort into the relationship on their part.
Fuck everyone is lazy.

True Love is real and excists. Its just really hard to find, and once you find it, its really hard to keep.

Unless, you actually find someone who puts effort into the relationship on their part.
Fuck everyone is lazy.

That why we have condoms.

True Love is real and excists. Its just really hard to find, and once you find it, its really hard to keep.

Unless, you actually find someone who puts effort into the relationship on their part.
Fuck everyone is lazy.

Trying to find it causes more trouble than it's worth.
Trying to keep it sometimes as well.

Eh I've spent 18 years looking for my true love. Since my last relationship I've given up and decide that it's time for her to look for me.

Eh I've spent 18 years looking for my true love. Since my last relationship I've given up and decide that it's time for her to look for me.

Good idea, that's actually how i found my current bf (ok, so switch the roles) and it was the least likely place i would have ever thought of where we "bumped into each other"

Love is definitly real, don't even care that it all has to do with chemicals/ hormones and such, as long as it makes me feel great.

Love is real. People who disagree are just stupid faggy goth kids.

First you need do define love.
Is f... a person you like real love ?
Or is it love if you think there is someone you can trust without ifs and buts?
Are you able to love someone without having sex?
I think love is a feeling, that does not occurs on the first time you meet with someone, but if you live for a long time together and everything stays ok, THAT IS LOVE !

Love is real. People who disagree are just stupid faggy goth kids.

Ah, the 'I'm right and you're wrong and that's that despite the fact that I have no evidence to support my opinion' attitude. Are you a christian? I bet you are. :rolleyes:

Love is real. People who disagree are just stupid faggy goth kids.

Yes, because those who disgaree are clearly just faggy goth kids. :rolleyes: God forbid that the Preps bitch about the same thing too.

Love: A feeling of deep or intense affection or attraction


This puts love down to something purely chemical, with no spiritual aspect. And I don't think that anybody would debate the fact that intense attraction exists.

So, do we have a definition?

Ah, the 'I'm right and you're wrong and that's that despite the fact that I have no evidence to support my opinion' attitude. Are you a christian? I bet you are. :rolleyes:

Nope, Im an athiest, dont know why that has anything to do with my oppinion.

Nope, Im an athiest, dont know why that has anything to do with my oppinion.

I bet your a prep though.

Nope, Im an athiest, dont know why that has anything to do with my oppinion.

An atheist. You sir, are an embarrasment to our position. You're just as bad as the religious wankers. :sniper:

I bet your a prep though.
No, stupid.

An atheist. You sir, are an embarrasment to our position. You're just as bad as the religious wankers. :sniper:

How, by calling Goths faggy? They are. And how am I "just as bad as those religious wankers"? What's wrong with religious people?

How, by calling Goths faggy? They are. And how am I "just as bad as those religious wankers"? What's wrong with religious people?


I agree, goths are faggy. But by not supporting your argument with logic, your stooping to the religious persons level. Thinking you're right, but not being able to back it up, is stupidity.

An atheist. You sir, are an embarrasment to our position. You're just as bad as the religious wankers. :sniper:

Watch the gun smilies, CC. Someone might mistake you for a n00b.

Love as a chemical imbalance is true, but I'm not the one to ask about the 'real' kind of love.

Watch the gun smilies, CC. Someone might mistake you for a n00b.

Love as a chemical imbalance is true, but I'm not the one to ask about the 'real' kind of love.

Sorry. Couldn't help myself. :(

Sorry. Couldn't help myself. :(

I looked for that super-secret forum of yours yesterday, but I couldn't find it. Is it invitation only, then?

I looked for that super-secret forum of yours yesterday, but I couldn't find it. Is it invitation only, then?

Not exactly super secret. But yes, it's rather difficult to find. I'll send a link to your nation.

Because you dont know how great it is to love someone. If your questioning whether its real or not, you never felt it. Love is very, very real.

Guess that's my problem, then. I can't answer the question.

Love is overrated. Biologically, it is no different than eating large quantities of chocolate.

Love is overrated. Biologically, it is no different than eating large quantities of chocolate.
except for the fact that it's generally easier to use for getting sex, not that i've tried getting sex with either. maybe i should get her some chocolate...

do you have any empirical data to prove that though? I don't have a problem with people who believe it, but spirituality seems like a bunch of hogwash to me. Meh, I'm cynical anyway.
its truely subjective as its based on an individual's feelings and experiences, which can only be conveyed with words... if one person doesn't believe those words then there's not much that can be done to empiricate or convey something as personal or individual (or of course subjective) as that *shrugs*

we could get into the relative philosophy of love - as i'm sure one could argue there's a 'form' of love that only old beardy philosophers can understand, or that love is an absolute in some way - but i can't be bothered :P

I know i'm playing devil's advocate here, but what if love was not real? Because people have defined love as hormones playing tricks on us and making us believe that love is more than just another bodily function. So why do we need love when all that's needed to continue the reproduction of the specie is lust (from the biological point of view)?
*CanuckHeaven kicks "devil's advocate" in the butt. :eek:

I have experienced both love and lust and lust can destroy a loving relationship. I have fulfilled my duty "from the biological point of view" by having fathered two sons, and the loving relationship that led to the creation of my sons sadly came to an end one day.

I fell in love again and have recently remarried. We are both way past raising a new family and we love each other very much. Love is more than just having sex. True love is about sharing with and caring for the other person. True love is about respect, honesty, and devotion. True love is about making love :fluffle: and not just having sex. Lust can leave one with a very empty feeling inside.

Yes, love is real and I love being in love again!!

Love can be real - a real pain in the behind! Especially for people who have to listen to whiny complaints from friends all weekend about random guys or girls whom were praised to the skies mere weeks prior for being 'special' and 'making me feel special', then shredded verbally between floods of tears and fits of rage for not acting "as my boyfriend / girlfriend should"...

I think it is, but it is also an addiction and releases the same chemicals in your brain as any other addiction.