The first thing I googled when I opened my browser was "what is love" and the first thing that popped up was a video titled "Haddaway - What Is Love [Official]" so I knew I needed to be more specific when looking on the internet for a good source.
After a little bit of scrolling, I found a page titled "What is love? Five theories on the greatest emotion of all." This interested me, so I opened it.
This online source gathered up five writers to get their take on what love is. There is a small excerpt from each writer and here is a short summary of each of those writers' views:
The Physicist: "Love is chemistry"
Love is a neurological condition like hunger or thirst. The brain releases many chemicals including pheromones, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin and vasopressin. Love can also be used as a survival tool, to promote feelings of safety and security.
The Psychotherapist: "Love has many guises"
The ancients had several variations of love; Philia is a deep, non-sexual intimacy between friends and family. Ludus is a love that develops over a long period of time that includes commitment, compromise and understanding. Agape is more generalized, like a love for all humanity. Philautia is self love. And eros is a sexual-type of love. "Love is all of the above. But is it possible unrealistic to expect to experience all six types with only one person. This is why family and community are important" (Philippa Perry)
The Philosopher: "Love is a passionate commitment"
Love is more than a strong feeling because it comes into our lives uncontrolled. "Without the commitment, it is mere infatuation. Without the passion, it is mere dedication. Without the nurturing, even the best can wither and die." (Julian Baggini)
The Romantic Novelist: "Love drives all great stories"
Love to you is where you are in relation to it. It is the driver of all great stories, but not just romantic love, but love of parent to child, for your family, or for your country.
The Nun: "Love is free yet binds us"
"The paradox of love is that it is supremely free yet attaches us with bonds stronger than death. It cannot be bought or sold; there is nothing it cannot face; love is life's greatest blessing." (Catherine Wybourne)
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/13/what-is-love-five-theories (this is very interesting to me because I didn't consider these things when thinking of my initial question)
Reading over the first writer's viewpoint again, I decided to learn more about love, but in a chemical way. I searched all of the chemicals he mentioned in the Merriam Webster online dictionary.
Pheromones: "A chemical substance that is usually produced by an animals and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses" Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pheromone
Dopamine: "A monoamine C8H11NO2 that is a decarboxylated from of dopa and that occurs especially as a neurotransmitter in the brain." Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dopamine
Norepinephrine: "A monoamine C8H11NO3 that is a neurotransmitter in postganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system and in some parts of the central nervous system, is a vasopressor hormone of the adrenal medulla, and is a precursor of epinephrine in its major biosynthetic pathway." Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/norepinephrine
Serotonin: "A phenolic amine neutrotransmitter C10H12N2O that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum, and gastic mucous membrane of mammals." Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serotonin
Oxytocin: "A pituitary octapeptide hormone C43H66N12O12S2 that stimulates especially the contraction of uterine muscle and the secretion of milk." Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxytocin
And finally:
Vasopressin: "A polypeptide hormone sectreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland or obtained synthetically that increases blood pressure and decreases urine flow - called also antidiuretic hormone." Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vasopressin
So, not many of these were not obviously related to love, but more research will have to come to show how they are.
Jillian,
ReplyDeleteI liked the information you found. It was solid, to the point, and gave facts accordingly. I am still convinced that love is a real emotion; the writing excerpts only confirm my status on the matter. I am perplexed as to how love is chemical. I mean, your brain releases dopamine when you feel pleasure; sex and food are the two that usually produce the highest amount. How does love do this then? In my juvenile experience of love and intimacy, I am feeling on an emotional level, not because my brain tells me, " this is nice." I have not been convinced about a chemical involvement in love. I agree that there are different kinds of love, and that different people in your life provide you with the different kinds of love. How do we distinguish between the kinds when we encounter it? I am curious about that. I liked that you separated the argument, too. Good research!
Madison
I enjoy your premise a lot, I commented last week. I think you have done some solid research, but I would have liked to have seen your take on the information as presented, just a bit more. As it is, the piece feels a bit clinical, and may leave one with an unclear perspective. As to pheromones being love, I am under the impression pheromones are what attract us, and the dopamine release is the drug, and love is the addiction. So in an odd way, some think love is a habit! It is certainly a multifaceted topic and you have taken it on with a lot of forethought. Good job.I look forward to more.
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