Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences
related to a sense of strong affection[1] and
attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of
different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from
generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense
interpersonal attraction ("I love my boyfriend"). This
diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the
complexity of the feelings involved, makes love
unusually difficult to consistently define, even
compared to other emotional states.
Love is an extremely powerful emotion; it can be
irresistible and people are often bound to pursue their
love interests. Love is a major theme in literature,
poetry, and film.
As an abstract concept, love usually refers to a deep,
ineffable feeling of tenderly caring for another
person. Even this limited conception of love, however,
encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the
passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the
nonsexual emotional closeness of familial and platonic
love[2] to the profound oneness or devotion of
religious love.[3] Love in its various forms acts as a
major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and,
owing to its central psychological importance, is one
of the most common themes in the creative arts.
Definitions
The English word "love" can have a variety of related
but distinct meanings in different contexts. Often,
other languages use multiple words to express some of
the different concepts that English relies mainly on
"love" to encapsulate; one example is the plurality of
Greek words for "love." Cultural differences in
conceptualizing love thus make it doubly difficult to
establish any universal definition.[4]
Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of
frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be
clarified by determining what isn't love. As a general
expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of
like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or
neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally
intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly
contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal
relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly
contrasted with friendship, although other definitions
of the word love may be applied to close friendships in
certain contexts.
When discussed in the abstract, love usually refers to
interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for
another person. Love often involves caring for or
identifying with a person or thing, including oneself
(cf. narcissism).
In addition to cross-cultural differences in
understanding love, ideas about love have also changed
greatly over time. Some historians date modern
conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during
or after the Middle Ages, although the prior existence
of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love
poetry.[5]
Because of the complex and abstract nature of love,
discourse on love is commonly reduced to a
thought-terminating cliché, and there are a number of
common proverbs regarding love, from Virgil's "Love
conquers all" to the Beatles' "All you need is love."
Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of
"absolute value," as opposed to relative value.
Theologian Thomas Jay Oord said that to love is to "act
intentionally, in sympathetic response to others, to
promote overall well-being."[citation needed]
Philosopher Gottfried Leibniz said that love is "to be
delighted by the happiness of another."[6]
related to a sense of strong affection[1] and
attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of
different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from
generic pleasure ("I loved that meal") to intense
interpersonal attraction ("I love my boyfriend"). This
diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the
complexity of the feelings involved, makes love
unusually difficult to consistently define, even
compared to other emotional states.
Love is an extremely powerful emotion; it can be
irresistible and people are often bound to pursue their
love interests. Love is a major theme in literature,
poetry, and film.
As an abstract concept, love usually refers to a deep,
ineffable feeling of tenderly caring for another
person. Even this limited conception of love, however,
encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the
passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the
nonsexual emotional closeness of familial and platonic
love[2] to the profound oneness or devotion of
religious love.[3] Love in its various forms acts as a
major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and,
owing to its central psychological importance, is one
of the most common themes in the creative arts.
Definitions
The English word "love" can have a variety of related
but distinct meanings in different contexts. Often,
other languages use multiple words to express some of
the different concepts that English relies mainly on
"love" to encapsulate; one example is the plurality of
Greek words for "love." Cultural differences in
conceptualizing love thus make it doubly difficult to
establish any universal definition.[4]
Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of
frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be
clarified by determining what isn't love. As a general
expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of
like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or
neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally
intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly
contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal
relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly
contrasted with friendship, although other definitions
of the word love may be applied to close friendships in
certain contexts.
When discussed in the abstract, love usually refers to
interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for
another person. Love often involves caring for or
identifying with a person or thing, including oneself
(cf. narcissism).
In addition to cross-cultural differences in
understanding love, ideas about love have also changed
greatly over time. Some historians date modern
conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during
or after the Middle Ages, although the prior existence
of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love
poetry.[5]
Because of the complex and abstract nature of love,
discourse on love is commonly reduced to a
thought-terminating cliché, and there are a number of
common proverbs regarding love, from Virgil's "Love
conquers all" to the Beatles' "All you need is love."
Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of
"absolute value," as opposed to relative value.
Theologian Thomas Jay Oord said that to love is to "act
intentionally, in sympathetic response to others, to
promote overall well-being."[citation needed]
Philosopher Gottfried Leibniz said that love is "to be
delighted by the happiness of another."[6]
