"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love." -Sophocles I am not going to ask "what is love?" because I'll get spammed with Haddaway's "What is Love? Baby Don't Hurt Me" music video. I liked how Urban Dictionary defines love. "Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offence. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another's sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is not limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love." We all perceive love differently due to our life experiences, but we can all agree that "love is the most spectacular, indescribable, deep euphoric feeling" you can have for another human being. I know that feeling because I have had the fortune to be loved. There's a difference between the love you have for your family, friends, and significant other, but they all share the same core similarities. If you're someone who reached a high stage in life where you love your enemies, there's a similarity in that too. I am not going to talk about the love for God (for those who believe in God), because that's something entirely different, and out of the scope of this thread. Love oftentimes seems selfish because there are people that think falling in love means that they found someone who will take care of all of their needs. There needs to be selfless love (I posted this on another forum) which is, respect for each other when together or a part, understanding each other's needs, communication, fighting fairly, forgiving freely, and making a non-negotiable together time no matter how busy you both are(SO). That means that love will always flower and remain constant throughout their lives, and they will trust one another impeccably. Selfless love does exist, because when someone's happiness, grief, hopes, and dreams are yours, then selfishness ceases to exist. That's something shared between both, and it's not one-dimensional. "Lust is the desire for their body; love is the desire for their soul."- Unknown. That doesn't mean that if you love someone you don't lust them (and vice versa), but when you love a person you see beyond their physical appearance, through their eyes, and into what makes them who they are. “Love isn't finding a perfect person. It's seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”- Sam Keen Every living thing deserves to be loved, for only the unloved cannot love. So if you're fortunate to be loved by someone, go ahead and tell them how much they mean for you. If you're SO is close by, go ahead and give him/her a hug and tell them how much you love them. Share the love with everyone that matters to you; remember love selflessly. :love:
Wow. By staggering coincidence I was just reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 about half an hour ago. I don't know why, I just felt moved to and then you posted this up! The first half of that quote is lifted right from there. This may seem odd, but I'm a die-hard atheist with a favourite Bible passage - those four verses. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 corinthians 13:4-7&version=NIV I've been in love before, a few times. One was particularly strong and for a while afterwards I thought that was the strongest feelings I'd ever had for someone. A few years later I became a parent and the feelings I once had for that girl seemed small by comparison. What's even more humbling is that having a kid made me think about my own parents and to realise how much I'd taken them for granted over the years. I'm inclined to think, however, that it's not an entirely bad thing. I now consider the fact that I'd taken my parents so much for granted as a sign that they did a lot right with my upbringing.
So that's where it's from! I agree with everything you said. I am not a parent, but I am beginning to appreciate the sacrifices my parents made for me, and how much they love me. It's a part of the reason why I made this thread in the first place. P.S. There's no such thing as coincidences
Food for thought, I have some things to add, but I have some other things to take care of at the moment. I'll leave it with love can mean different things to many people, people show their love in different ways, and yes most things people can agree and understand about love, but I don't think anyone should ever be told that the feelings they have for someone "isn't love" or is not "real love". Because it doesn't meet ones own definitions. One of my favourite quotes about love is "love is madness".
This was a double (it was stuck on the "posting" bit for 3 minutes or so). But while it was, I thought a little more and have a couple of questions for anyone who would care to address them. What are your opinions of unrequited or one sided love. The same way you might love a significant other. Is it obsessive? Is it creepy? How about unrequited love from one who has never expressed their feelings, a friend perhaps? Do you think good friends can become partners successfully, or is the risk of expressing or going into a relationship and finding out things don't work too much of a risk? My love is quite strong, and I have been told at times that I'm a cold or heartless person. (Depends on who you ask ) But I have a crazy love for my family and friends, and am surprised by my own emotions and how choked up I can get at say seeing my two year old niece, or really young cousins. My siblings and cousins, who are a couple of years younger than me, I have a crazy love for them, and sometimes I am a bit of a parent to them. I've had problems in the past, because I'm very generous to the ones I care for and love. Sometimes it felt it wasn't reciprocated, but later on I met get some clarity on events I had misconstrued in my mind as thinking "that wasn't love", or had explained to me, that the way they love and the little things they did for me that I might have taken for granted is their way of loving. This is why I mentioned, no one should really specify what is and isn't love. It means different things to different people.
Wow, was just about to post in the Epic Troll thread of love before I left, but was heartbroken to see it has closed. Everything must end I guess. But since this was a triple, I might aswell just add it here. Warrior's love - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktbhw0v186Q"]10 hours of "What is love" (Jim Carrey, v.1) - YouTube[/ame] My love - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYgBoJRi9uk"]Aqualung - Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell On You) - YouTube[/ame] One of the creepist songs ever, introduced to me by a girl in scondary school in a random conversation, someone I rarely spoke to, who years later on at a new years eve party told me she had a crush on me. *Shudders*.
Wrong thread I edited the second, and when I have more to add tomorrow, I'll just edit the third to make them count.
:topic: Well that's a topic for a whole new thread. Someone here was throwing around the idea of starting up some debating threads - this might be a good topic! I'd be arguing for the "yes there is" side of that debate.
It can make you go blind though..... The concept of "Love" is the second, and arguably most important part, of Thelema. "Do what Thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law; Love is the Law - Love under the Will" When you put someone entirely before yourself - including your life - then that is a high expression of love IMO. "Greater love hath no man..."
I have noticed that people cannot love others or feel love from others that is greater than the love they have for themselves. Just wondering if others have seen this too. My favorite bible verse also, even though I've left that faith. Interesting to note for all the talk of love in the bible that is the only place in the bible that it is defigned.
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu One of my favourite thinkers. Interested if people think it is better to be feared or loved? Raz
Well, for me loving myself is accepting who I am. I am my harshest critic, and sometimes I find myself calling saying I am an idiot, or a failure when I mess something up. See, that's unhealthy, and it can be detrimental to one's confidence. Fear can only get one so far. With fear comes resentment. No matter how effective it is, in the end it will fail, whereas love fosters something all together different that's much more effective in the long run.
I think with hatred comes resentment, not so much fear. Dam i now feel the urge to go find out which has been more succesful, people fighting for love or for fear. Dam you! :hat: Raz
Machiavelli writes, “The answer is that one would like to be both the one and the other; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is far safer to be feared than loved if you cannot be both.” As Machiavelli asserts, commitments made in peace are not always kept in adversity; however, commitments made in fear are kept out of fear. Yet, a prince must ensure that he is not feared to the point of hatred, which is very possible Though this is purely on the advice's of being a ruling prince, which is different to the common man. Raz
Why give Love a monolithic meaning? Why not be content with the usage of "Love" as an ambiguous term with many connotations but "no fits" all definition?
