Theories on Love

THEORIES ON LOVE

Love involves a wide range of positive, strong emotions and thoughts toward another person. Love is different depending on the context. Parental love, for example, is different from romantic love. Love implies some type of attraction and emotional attachment. Love helps to facilitate many types of interpersonal relationships and is a big part of the creative arts. It is considered an evolutionary advantage to be able to love.

Love can mean many different things and, in fact, since ancient times, there are several different types of love that have been named. An example is romantic love, called the eros in Ancient Greece. The opposite of love can be the presence of hate or neutral apathy. Love and lust are two different things and, while love and friendship are related, they are also not the same thing.

One can have impersonal love toward a goal, principle, or object they are highly committed to and value a great deal. Material objects can be loved, such as the love for an animal, material object, or certain activity. Romantic love and passion for an object is called having a paraphilia.

Most of what we consider to be love is interpersonal love. If it is unrequited, it means the love is not reciprocated. Interpersonal love can be between couples, close friends, or family members. The different theories on love relate to a variety of things, from biology, neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology.

Love in biology is seen as a typical mammalian drive, related to thirst and hunger. There are three stages of love in some theories, which include lust, attraction, and attachment. There are different neural circuits associated with these three stages. Lust promotes mating and involves sexual desire. There is an increase in estrogen and progesterone in this phase. Attraction requires some type of mate selection, involving the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. These are the same hormones seen when amphetamines are used. Both lust and attraction are temporary and lead sometimes to attachment. This involves long-term bonding and lasting relationships. Oxytocin and vasopressin are released in attachment.

Love also has a psychological component. This leads to Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, which indicates that love is a combination of commitment, intimacy, and passion. Intimacy can be seen in romantic relationships and friendships. Commitment is the expectation of permanency. Passion refers to a sexual connection with the person. Different types of relationships have different components of each of these. Complete or consummate love includes all three components of the triangle.

People tend to love those people who are similar to them. There doesn’t appear to be any truth to the idea that opposites attract. Many psychologists have proposed that love is not just a feeling but also involves actions and activities.

Evolution favors love as being advantageous. Human love often leads to monogamy rather than polygamy. When in a monogamous relationship, there is a decreased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, which can later diminish fertility. This creates an evolutionary advantage to being able to love.

There are different forms of love in Ancient Greek teachings. There are four types of love as defined by the Ancient Greeks. These include Agape, which generally means love or pure, ideal love, and eros, which involve passionate love and sexual desire. Philia is virtuous love toward the community, family, and friends. Storge is love and affection that is natural, such as between parents and children. Xenia is also called “guest love”, which is more ritualized.

There are different ways that love is seen in different religions. In the Hebrew religion, there is no difference between love between God and God’s creations is the same as interpersonal love. There is also loving-kindness between different individuals. Christians believe in love that comes from God. Agape is also recognized as selfless and unconditional love. Phileo is called brotherly love. Love in Islam is available to all who hold faith. Divine love is a feature of Sufism in the Islamic faith.

Buddhists, on the other hand, believe that sexual love can block the pathway to enlightenment because it can be selfish. Compassion and mercy are forms of love that are necessary for enlightenment because they reduce the suffering of other people. In Hinduism, sexual love is pleasurable, although there is a term used to describe elevated