L o v e

[LostPrincess13]

I happen to come across a thread that asked people how, when and where they met their true love. The question led me to several other questions: What is love? How does one know one is in love? How does one distinguish it from infatuation? Does it have to be mutual for it to be true? Could it be possible for two people to be in love, true love, and not end up together?

LOL! Humor me in this 'little' query... Love is a muse who most poets, artists, and musicians dedicate their works to. Maybe through this thread, we'd get to find out why She is so popular, how She inspires people to make masterpieces that melt even the hardest of hearts.

Also, you might like to share your favorite love poem, song, or quotation.

I hope you enjoy sharing your opinions with me and other LitNet people.:D

[Delta40]

All I know is my mother lied to me....

[LostPrincess13]

Hello there, Delta!:) If you don't mind my asking, what is it your mother lied to you about?

[Remarkable]

How do you know Love is a SHE?It might as well me a HE.In this very beautiful French song,the refrain goes something like:"Mister Love.........................." while my uncle,who sings in a night club,says it:"Madam Love..................................".So it probably depends?I don't know,anyhow.

[LostPrincess13]

LOL! Oh I'm sorry Remarkable for not being gender-sensitive... I just thought of Love as a cunning siren who lures unknowing humans into her snare... Also, when Love is personified, it seems it is always female. I mean, even deities that handle love are female.:D

[WhimsySA]

Ok so whatever gender floats your boat... He, she, it, take your pick... Now lets get to the knitty gritty stuff.

What is love?
Love is a wholeness. Love is beauty in abundance. Love is the sun breaking through the clouds after weeks and weeks of dreary weather. Love is lightning replenishing the earth with nitrogen. Love is a quiet stream beneath a large shady willow. Love is a beautiful flower that matures in the dazzling sunlight. But most of all, love is pure.

It is the feeling that you are complete. Love submerges your body and soul in a warm, sticky honey. It is the most honest emotion people have. If you love someone there is no way you can hide it. There is also no way to fake true love.

Love cannot be learnt or taught or even described. It the most amazing feeling and it rushes through your veins like white, hot fire, burning and etching itself into the very walls of your being. Without a little bit of love in the world we would be nothing.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

[JBI]

The fact that you can only answer in metaphor attests to the indefinable - in truth, some feminist critics argue that the notions of romantic love are patriarchal creations in order to justify male superiority. I don't completely agree with this notion, but when you start dissecting things, for the perceived notions of love - that is, the cliché romance novel type stuff - it seems to hold true.

In truth, as it spanned up until perhaps the 1950s and even today, love has been a medieval construct around the Virgin Mary myth. The adoration and "true love" concept came out of there, as seen in the works of the 12th century Mary de France, and in the non-fiction book, The Art of Love, which, at the time, laid down the foundation and "rules" of love.

That being said, the historical viewpoint doesn't take into account much of contemporary thought and emotions. I would probably define it as the sharing of values between two people, to the point where the emotions and desires of one become the emotions and desires of both.

That being said, there are problems with that definition, especially when gender roles and master/slave arguments are considered.

[Jozanny]

JBI may be on to something, I am not sure, but I'd wager that most societies, classical or otherwise, reinforce patriarchy, and not even so much out of sexism, but because it is just how most advanced mammals evolved. Mammals--because male dominance goes beyond ape evolution. In a pride of lions, or an elephant herd, females make the social cohesion, and do most of the work, but apparently the boys have to do the pissing matches. Something to do with being the best and a good protector and all that Darwinian jazz. So I take a Darwinian view of it.

And I think love is the binding glue, but fades, successfully or not, into familiar attachment. I am in my mid-40's, and any ability I may still have to attach myself isn't what it was when I first laid eyes on my Italian boxer.

I did not get him, but no man ever measured up to what he represented as my first flame. He is in his 40's now too, bald, with a flat nose, but when I caught up to him I did not care, and a companion who was with me said, "Gee, you really had a thing for this guy huh?"

She did not need a verbal affirmative--but maybe that is because old flames are always ideal, and what we sleep with the rest of our lives isn't.

[Joreads]

And I think love is the binding glue, but fades, successfully or not, into familiar attachment. I am in my mid-40's, and any ability I may still have to attach myself isn't what it was when I first laid eyes on my Italian boxer.

I did not get him, but no man ever measured up to what he represented as my first flame. He is in his 40's now too, bald, with a flat nose, but when I caught up to him I did not care, and a companion who was with me said, "Gee, you really had a thing for this guy huh?"

She did not need a verbal affirmative--but maybe that is because old flames are always ideal, and what we sleep with the rest of our lives isn't.

I am not sure what it is but there is nothing quite like your first love. Maybe it is all the firsts that are involved when everything is new and exciting, and the fact that with our first love we only tend to remember the good we always leave our rose colored glasses on when thinking about them?

[LostPrincess13]

thank you!:D i'm putting the pieces together from your comments...:) but i'm still wondering, how do you know you're in love? as oppose to just crushing?

[Silas Thorne]

Having a crush on someone? ;) No more of this 'crushing' . Sounds painful.

Can't answer your question though. Don't understand this love thing anyway. :)

[LostPrincess13]

hahaha!:lol: let's just say i'm a critical minded individual and analytical individual, and i adhere to the power of reason and logic. i need 'facts' inorder to be satisfied...;) i always ask for explainations and justifications. i hate being uncertain about things..;) catch my drift?;)

[Silas Thorne]

..but if you cut your heart out and examine it with your reason and logic it will cease to work. :)

[Joreads]

hahaha!:lol: let's just say i'm a critical minded individual and analytical individual, and i adhere to the power of reason and logic. i need 'facts' inorder to be satisfied...;) i always ask for explainations and justifications. i hate being uncertain about things..;) catch my drift?;)

Your in a bit of trouble then because my answer is you just know;). Love is an emotion and they defy logic and facts. That is why it is so easy to fall in love with people that you shouldn't:p

If you are unsure if you are in love than I would have to say that you are not.

[LostPrincess13]

Your in a bit of trouble then because my answer is you just know;). Love is an emotion and they defy logic and facts. That is why it is so easy to fall in love with people that you shouldn't:p

If you are unsure if you are in love than I would have to say that you are not.

LOL!:lol: i had the feeling you'd say that...;) to be honest, when asked the same question (how do you know you're in love?), i say, You Just Know...:blush: LOL! i have the habit of contradicting myself...:alien:

[sublimeation]

hey :D

[SleepyWitch]

The fact that you can only answer in metaphor attests to the indefinable - in truth, some feminist critics argue that the notions of romantic love are patriarchal creations in order to justify male superiority. I don't completely agree with this notion, but when you start dissecting things, for the perceived notions of love - that is, the cliché romance novel type stuff - it seems to hold true.

In truth, as it spanned up until perhaps the 1950s and even today, love has been a medieval construct around the Virgin Mary myth. The adoration and "true love" concept came out of there, as seen in the works of the 12th century Mary de France, and in the non-fiction book, The Art of Love, which, at the time, laid down the foundation and "rules" of love.



is there a text book that sums up this whole development? I'm really interested in the history of these concepts.



..but if you cut your heart out and examine it with your reason and logic it will cease to work.
:lol: :lol: do you mind if add this to my favourite quotes in my studivz profile (a German variant of facebook)??

[Zee.]

If you mean love as in love you share with a partner,


feels amazing - a bit painful, warm, fast. You feel like every part of you is alive. You feel happy. You feel ..odd , not being around them.
Butterflies. You care about them to the point they could grow an extra arm and you wouldnt care.

[Dori]

If you mean love as in love you share with a partner,


feels amazing - a bit painful, warm, fast. You feel like every part of you is alive. You feel happy. You feel ..odd , not being around them.
Butterflies. You care about them to the point they could grow an extra arm and you wouldnt care.

Though this might not apply to everyone, I would throw fear and jealousy in there too.

[JBI]

is there a text book that sums up this whole development? I'm really interested in the history of these concepts.


:lol: :lol: do you mind if add this to my favourite quotes in my studivz profile (a German variant of facebook)??

Oh, no doubt there are hundreds of such text books - though I kind of pieced my notions together from various primary texts, and specific time frame works. I am sure though, someone has done a history of love, and I am sure many have done them from different perspectives, including feminist ones.

I believe Eco has done some work on the subject to go along with his work on the history of Beauty, but really I think one needs to turn towards a more post-structuralist approach.

I have read, for instance, theories which suggest that love evolved out of the mini ice age at the beginning of the previous millennium, and strangely enough developed with the invention of the chimney, and its ability to create privacy for individuals.

[Joreads]

If you want to know what love is I suggest you put down the books and head out and find it because no book or writer can express in words the feeling of true love no matter how many of them you read.

[Silas Thorne]

You could also listen to 'Love is Blindness' by U2, 'Inside' by Sting, and then listen to Nine Inch Nail's 'Downward Spiral' album for another perspective. :)

[librarius_qui]

I happen to come across a thread that asked people how, when and where they met their true love. The question led me to several other questions: What is love? How does one know one is in love? How does one distinguish it from infatuation? Does it have to be mutual for it to be true? Could it be possible for two people to be in love, true love, and not end up together?

LOL! Humor me in this 'little' query... Love is a muse who most poets, artists, and musicians dedicate their works to. Maybe through this thread, we'd get to find out why She is so popular, how She inspires people to make masterpieces that melt even the hardest of hearts.

Also, you might like to share your favorite love poem, song, or quotation.

I hope you enjoy sharing your opinions with me and other LitNet people.:D

"She"??? Haha! ... Funny ... It's because, in (all) Latin(s), the word love is "he" ... haha!


LETS GO!
Answers
(Based on my own experience)

What is love?
There's two main kinds of love (to me): love of action, and love of feeling. Two sides of a coin.

How does one know one is in love?
You find the other person pretty, maybe not the most beautiful girl that there is, but well ... someone you find beautiful even when she's kind of uglyish. &, At he same time, you admire her, and you help her, and she helps you. Like in being a better person. (Or whatever else mutual purpose.)

How does one distinguish it from infatuation?
Infatuation doesn't last. Infatuation usually doesn't have anything to do with the inside of the person. (Not usually or necessarily.) Infatuation doesn't seem like you can choose. Love is fruit of choice, decision, growing, and defeating time.

Does it have to be mutual for it to be true?
Yes.

Could it be possible for two people to be in love, true love, and not end up together?
No.

[These are answers about the love between a man and a woman. There are other kinds of love. There's unconditional love, for instance, to which there's no need to be mutual. Someone can love someone else, and not to be loved back.

And there's love between friends, as well. In this, one loves the other, and vice versa, but there's no expectation of anything else than friendship. And it is common among two men, two women, but more rare between a man and a woman; some question whether there can be friendship between a man and a woman without interests in going farther ... I know it can, because I have friends of the opposite sex. However, maybe it's more difficult to young people, and goes becoming possible to as you get older, if you seek for any sort of wisdom and humanity (...).]


Libri~
:crash:

[hoope]

This was emailed to me .. i guess its the best that i can say on love..
hope u like it


Why do our eyes close when we sleep? When we cry? When we imagine? When we kiss?
This is because the most beautiful things in this world are unseen.

We are alittle weird and life is alittle weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness called love.

There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind, but keep in mind that letting go isnt the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new life.

It's more dangerously to cry inside rather then outwardly. Outward tears can be wiped away but inward tears scar forever.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

A great love? It's when you shed tears and you still care for the person. it's when he/she ignores you and you still long for that person. It's when he/she begins to love another and yet you still smile and say i'm happy for you.

If love fails set yourself free, let your heart spread its wings and fly again. Remeber you may find love and lose it, but remeber when love dies you never have to die with it.

The strongest people are not those who always win but those who who stand back up when they fall.

Somehow along the course of life, you learn about yourself and realize there should never be regrets, only a lifelong appreciation of the choices you have made.

A true friend understands when you say i forgot and waits forever when you say just a minute, stays when you say leave me alone, opens the door even before you knock and says can i come in?

Loving is not how you forget but how you forgive, not how you listen but how you understand, not what you see but how you feel, and not how you let go but how you hold on.

[mmaria]

If love is confused with possession than jealousy comes up. Real love knows not of jealousy.

I don't think that love cannot be leant. Love can and should be taught and leant.