What is love?

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Philosophizing about the "Love":
Love, meaning:
It is the level or degree of responsibility, utility and pleasure with which we deal with things and people we know. The word love (Latin Love) lends itself to multiple meanings in the English language. It can mean affection, compassion, mercy, or even inclination, attraction, passion, wishing well, satisfaction, achievement, desire, libido, etc.. The most popular concept of love involves, in general, the formation of an emotional bond with someone, or some object that is able to receive this loving behavior and send sensory stimuli and psychological needed for its maintenance and motivation. It is regarded by many as the greatest of all conquests of being.

Characteristics of love:
There is talk of love in many different forms: physical love, platonic love, maternal love, love for life. It's the kind of love that has to do with the character of self and motivation to love (in the sense of wanting to do well and in favor).


Platonic love: Platonic love is an expression used to describe an ideal love, oblivious to the interests or enjoyments. A popular sense can be an impossible love of performing, perfect love, perfect, pure, chaste. It is, however, a misinterpretation of the philosophy of Plato, when binding the attribute "platonic" the sense of something existing only in terms of ideas. Because idea in Plato is not a question of reason or human fantasy. It is the essential reality. The world of matter is just a shade remember that the light of truth essential. The term Platonic love is a misinterpretation of the concept of love in Plato's philosophy. The love in Plato is missing. That is, lover in search loved the idea - indeed essential - they do not. Herein supplies and the lack becomes full, so dialectical, reciprocal.

In contrast to the concept of love in Plato's philosophy is the concept of passion. The passion was the desire returned exclusively to the world of shadows, abandoning the search for essential reality. Love in Plato does not condemn sex, or things of material life.
Philosophical perspective: The theme of love is common to almost all the Greek philosophers understood as a principle that governs the union of the natural elements and the principle of relationship between human beings.
After Plato, however, only the Platonists and Neoplatonists considered the love a fundamental concept. In Plutarch's love is the aspiration of what is needed in order (or just have minimally) to pure forms and, ultimately, the Pure Form of the Good in "The Enneads", Plotinus is the love of the soul to the intelligence, and in his Epistle ad Marcelam, Porphyry mentions the four principles of God, faith, truth, love and hope. In Neoplatonic thought, the concept of love has a meaning fundamentally metaphysical or religious-metaphysical.

The original love: Love to occur, regardless of levels: whether social, emotional, paternal or maternal fraternal - which is love between brothers and comrades - shall be permitted. What love means to be allowed? Well, in fact almost never thinks about it because it passes unnoticed as it attaches itself to a natural behavior of human beings or other living beings. But no, the permission referred to herein becomes based on a sense of reciprocity able to initiate and expand relationships of affection between two or more people or beings that are in contact and that perhaps come to foster a feeling of affection or love between them.
Permission occurs in a natural level of acceptance, mental or physical, in which the opening to be giving another without requiring any obligations or attitudes demeritorious or confused by any of the parties. The freedom to love when the feeling somehow fills the soul and the body, not just for a few minutes, days or months but for years, perhaps forever while it lasts and more on souvenirs and memories.
Why do you love me? Because you allowed. This phrase refers to the simplest reciprocity mechanism and loyalty if one asks the other why your feelings of love toward him, the answer could only be that. The reason for the feeling of love towards the other person relapsed in the own loved person, who in his gestures, words, thoughts and actions that gave permission to another person or being - and may even be a pet - that feeling of the devoted love.
Basically here we have the maximum of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince in, in the phrase: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." Explaining that can not afford despermitir and a sense of cause and durable, such as in question without waiting repercussion due, or the reaction to such an action, it being of any origin.

Love can be understood in different ways, and taken for granted although it is a feeling, so it is abstract, formless, colorless, size or texture. But it alone: The feeling in excellence, what that means is the primary sense and initial each and every human being, animal or any other being endowed with feelings and natural reasoning ability.
All lack love and want to recognize that feeling in oneself and others, regardless of age or sex. Love is vital to our lives as the air, and is well recognized that without love the creature does not survive while love brings balance and peace of mind when it is necessary.
Styles of Love:
Identificodos were by anthropological studies in the area, six basic types in theory, for loving styles. In these types people use in their interpersonal relationships:

Love can be understood in different ways, and taken for granted although it is a feeling, so it is abstract, formless, colorless, size or texture. But it alone: The feeling in excellence, what that means is the primary sense and initial each and every human being, animal or any other being endowed with feelings and reasoning skills • Eros - a passionate love reasoned and based in physical appearance
• Psyche - a love "spiritual", based on the eternal mind and feelings
• Ludus - love that is played as a game; playful love
• Storge - a lovingkindness that develops slowly, based on similarity
• Pragma - pragmatic love, you see only the moment and need temporary, the now
• Mania - love highly emotional, unstable, the stereotype of romantic love or passionate.
• Agape - selfless love, spiritual

According to the research of Hendrick and Hendrick, men tend to be more playful and manic, whereas women tend to be pragmatic and stórgicas. Relationships based on similar love styles tend to last longer.

Physical attraction, passion and love
Physical attraction: physical attractiveness lies in our instincts harnessed to our physiologic state as the sexual needs, pleasure and perpetuity of the species.
Passion: Passion is a strong feeling that you can take even as a pathology stemmed from love. Manifested the passion in proper circumstances, the individual tends to be less rational, prioritizing the instinct to possess the object that caused you desire. Thus, the love can transcend their limits regarding the reason and, in extreme situations, bordering on obsession. This intense and impetuous attraction is intimately linked to low brain serotonin: chemical (neurotransmitter) responsible for several feelings and pathologies, including anxiety and stress, depression and obsessive-compulsive psychosis.
Interpersonal Love: Love Interpersonal refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking between two or more people. Without love refers to those feelings of love that are not reciprocal. Love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships. Such love might exist between family members, friends and couples. There are also a number of psychological disorders related to love, such as erotomania.

• Some feelings that are often associated with Interpersonal Love:The Affection: feelings of tenderness and / or wanting physical proximityThe attraction: meet basic emotionalAltruism: selfless or altruistic concern for othersthe Reciprocity: if love is mutualCommitment: a desire to maintain loveThe Emotional intimacy: sharing emotions and feelingsThe Friendship: the spirit between friendsthe Kinship: family bondsThe Passion: constant desire, direction via modification of cardiac rhythmthe Physical intimacy: sharing of personal space and intimatethe Self-interest: when it seeks rewardsService: desire to helpSexuality can be an important element in determining the form of a relationship. While sexual attraction, often creates a new sexual bond. This intention, when isolated, may be considered undesirable or inappropriate in certain types of love. In many religions and systems of ethics is considered wrong way to act on sexual desire towards his family immediately. Eg: for children, or outside of a committed relationship. However, there are many ways of expressing passionate love without sex. Affection, emotional intimacy, sharing interests and experiences are common in friendships and loves all humans.Scientific modelsThe Biological Sciences has models that describe love as a mammalian instinct, just like hunger or thirst. In psychology sees love as more of a phenomenon: social and cultural. There are probably elements of truth in both positions - certainly love is influenced by hormones s (such as oxytocin), neurotransmitters (such as NGF), and Pheromone s, and the way people think what makes these behave about love so influenced by their conceptions of what love is.The conventional view in biology is that there are two main strands in love - sexual attraction. This would make this behavior among adults of a certain species would engage in raising their offspring in the same manner with which to work with the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to his mother. The traditional view of the psychology sees love as being a combination of loving commitment and impassioned love. Passionate love is intense desire is, and is often accompanied by physiological arousal (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate). Loving commitment is affection and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by physiological arousal.The triangular theory of loveIn the triangular theory of love, relationships are characterized by three elements: intimacy, passion and commitment. Each of these elements and their combinations with each other may be present in a relationship to produce the following definitions:• Friendship (Intimacy)• Limerence (passion)• Empty Love (commitment)• Romantic love (intimacy + passion)• Fellowship love (intimacy + commitment)• fleeting love (passion + commitment)• Love consummated (intimacy + passion + commitment)Love, passion, and madness: Studies have shown that scanning the brains of individuals passionate displays a resemblance to people living with a mental illness. Love creates activity in the same area of ​​the brain that hunger, thirst and heavy drugs, creating polymerase activity. New love, therefore, could be more emotional than physical. Over time, this reaction to love changes, and different areas of the brain are activated, primarily those loves that involve long-term commitments. Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist, suggests that this modification reaction of love is so similar to drug addiction, because without love, humanity would die.Neurobiology of "being in love": In the field of neurobiology, studies supported by results of electroencephalography and recording the electrical currents that occur in the brain during the state "passion," show that features the same high activity as that recorded during the libido. When someone falls registers a higher production of dopamine, responsible for the state of euphoria, adrenaline, responsible for arousal, endorphin, the feeling of happiness and well being and ultimately elevates testosterone that contributes to greater sexual appetite. Simultaneously chemicals are released, pheromones or pheromone olfactory attraction engaged in the same species. Moreover dramatically decreases the level of serotonin, which causes the state "being in love" resembles the state recorded during other mental illnesses. So many passionate behave more impulsively, without inhibition as if they were outside its reasonable control. After a few months, the body becomes accustomed to these high doses (according to WHO lasts a maximum of 24 to 36 months) and gradually decreases the "poisoning" of the brain.On a more spiritual definition:Love according to a spiritual perspective, it is the quintessential feeling, and feelings are instincts elevated to the height of progress. As its starting point, the man just has instincts; most advanced and corrupt, only has sensations; better educated and purified, has feelings, and love is the refinement of feeling. Not love in the ordinary sense of the term, but this inner sun that condenses and gathers its focus on burning all the aspirations and all the revelations superhuman. The law of love supersedes personality by fusion of beings and extinguishes the social miseries. Blessed is he who, sobrelevando to humanity, love him with immense love their brothers in distress! Blessed is he who loves, because there knows the anguish of the soul, not the body! His feet are light, and he lives as transported outside himself. "When Jesus spoke the word of God - love - made people tremble, and the martyrs, drunk with hope, down to the circus."
        Said the man, in its inception, has just instincts. He therefore that the instincts dominate, it is nearer the start point to the target. To move toward the target, it is necessary to overcome the instincts in favor of feelings, ie improve these, suffocating the latent germs of matter. Instincts are the germination of embryos and feelings. Bring progress. The beings that are less advanced, releasing slowly from its chrysalis, remain subjugated by instincts.
            The spirit should be cultivated as a field. All future wealth depends on the current job. And more than earthly goods, he will lead you to the glorious elevation. It is then that, understanding the law of love that unites all beings, it will seek the gentle pleasures of the soul, which is the prelude to the heavenly joysFenelon. Bordeaux 1861
           Love is the divine essence. From the highest to the humblest, all ye possess, at heart, a spark of the sacred fire. It is a fact that you have been able to see often: the man most abject, the most vile, the most criminal, is a being or an object either alive and ardent affection, proof of all vicissitudes, often reaching heights sublime.
            Said by a being or any object, because there are among you people who dispense treasures of love, they overflow of the heart, animals, plants, and even material objects. Species of the misanthropes complaining of humanity in general, resist the natural tendency of the soul, seeking around her affection and sympathy. Debase the law of love to the condition of instinct. But, do what you want, they can not suffocate the germ vivacious that God has placed in your heart, in the act of creation. This germ grows and grows with morality and intelligence, and although often compressed by selfishness, is the source of holy virtues and sweet affections which are sincere and lasting help you cross the arid and rugged route of human existence.
           Poor brothers! Your love makes you selfish. Your love is restricted to a narrow circle of relatives or friends, and everyone else are you indifferent? Well: to practice the law of love, as God wants, it is necessary that chegueis to love, little by little, and without distinction, to all your brethren. The task is long and difficult, but it will be held. God wants, and the law of love is the first and most important precept of your new doctrine, because it is what must one day kill selfishness in any respect in presenting himself as beyond personal egoism, selfishness there is still a family, caste, nationality. "Love your neighbor as yourself", well, what is the limit of next? Will the family, sect, nation? No: it is all of humanity! In the higher worlds, is the mutual love that harmonizes and directs the spirits that inhabit them early.
            The effects of the law of love are moral improvement and happiness of the human race during the earthly life. The more and more vicious rebels should retire when witnessing the benefits produced by this principle: "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you, but do, however, all the good that ye can."
            Do not believe in sterility and hardening of the human heart, which will sag, even in spite of, the true love. This is a magnet that he can not resist, and your contact quicken and fruitful germs of this virtue, which are latent in your hearts. The earth abode of exile and evidence, will then be purified by this sacred fire, and if it will practice charity, humility, patience, self-denial, resignation, sacrifice, all these virtues daughters love.
 SAMSON. Member of the Spiritist Society of Paris, 1863Amai much to be loved! Just as this thought is, that it will find all comforts and soothes the pains of every day. Or rather, doing it, so you elevareis above matter that you espiritualizareis disrobe before even your earthly body. Love, in the deepest sense of the term, is to be loyal, honest, conscientious, to do unto others what you want for yourself. You look around themselves intimate the reason for all the pains that overwhelm the next, to give them relief. You face the great human family as their own, because this family will rediscover a day earlier worlds. The all sufferings, because dispensai a word of help and hope for you all the love and all fazerdes justice.

 And you, what do you think?