I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I loved my dog.
I love to play solitaire.
I love my spouse.
Which of these is 'true' love?'
It seems each person believes that everyone else means exactly the same thing as they do when they use the phrase 'true love.' I'd contend that this is unlikely and quite misleading.
'Love' is a completely inadequate word to describe my marital relationship. Our feelings are too deep and awesome for such a trite, vapid, sophomoric term.
Those of you who would like to point out that my feelings are clearly subjective and maybe delusional can get stuffed.
Helen Fisher has been researching the objective functional neurology of what we experience as love. She expounds on this in a TED talk.
The short version:
Sex drive- Lust, the simple, straightforward drive to reproduce (anyone will do.)
Romantic love- the obsession to obtain the mate determined to be best.
Attachment- the extended commitment to a mate long enough to raise offspring.
'True love' is just the subjective experience of these. The qualia of the chemistry.
I loved my dog.
I love to play solitaire.
I love my spouse.
Which of these is 'true' love?'
It seems each person believes that everyone else means exactly the same thing as they do when they use the phrase 'true love.' I'd contend that this is unlikely and quite misleading.
'Love' is a completely inadequate word to describe my marital relationship. Our feelings are too deep and awesome for such a trite, vapid, sophomoric term.
Those of you who would like to point out that my feelings are clearly subjective and maybe delusional can get stuffed.
Helen Fisher has been researching the objective functional neurology of what we experience as love. She expounds on this in a TED talk.
Code:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYfoGTIG7pY
The short version:
Sex drive- Lust, the simple, straightforward drive to reproduce (anyone will do.)
Romantic love- the obsession to obtain the mate determined to be best.
Attachment- the extended commitment to a mate long enough to raise offspring.
'True love' is just the subjective experience of these. The qualia of the chemistry.