What is love?

[Sheather]

No, you don't value their happiness when you're a stalker.

And let me elaborate, when the feeling is mutual. You can love someone and they not love you back, but that's not what I mean here.

[Doubting Thomas]

Restraining orders are just another way of saying "I love you."

[Violet]

Is love just friendship + sexual attraction? Assuming you were straight and single, if your best same sex friend was magically turned into an attractive member of the opposite gender, would you automatically be "in love" with him/her?

This analysis seems to cheapen the concept of "love" that people have because love then only results because of involuntary biological instinct.

Love is many different things.

But I think you'll find this is the best catch-all definition of love: 'Really REALLY liking something.'

... I can't really answer the 'same-sex friend into attractive other gender' thing... so, sorry?

People only eat because of involuntary biological instinct. I don't find that cheapens my enjoyment of food at all

[Doubting Thomas]

Love is many different things.

In some parts of town it costs you $20.

[Fruity]

Owlix: Are you pansexual?

On another note:
What is love?
I know what love for a son is like. I love my two boys more than anything. I have learned in recent months that I would consider sacrificing things for them that my reason tells me I don't have to. I love them so much that I prefer their happiness to mine. I want my kids to be happy and in peace. Nothing else matters as much.

Romantic love: I have no idea what it feels like. The deep kind of love that people talk about, I wish I knew. I have a hypothesis, though. I think that being in love is a brain chemical thing. I think that we send ourselves different signals correlated with the person. Now, my examples are just examples. Of course, scenarios could vary depending on you likes and dislikes. At the end we're all humans. It was dark out when we met and the pupils were dilated which makes the person more attractive, so your pupils dilate both because it's dark and you are pleased with what you see. Now you both seem more attractive lol. Perhaps the person mentioned a certain something that you like and you both went, "Oh! I'm not the only one who likes that!" The person has some qualities that your are attracted to for various reasons. Perhaps if you are a girl, you know about another girl who likes this guy and that brings the guy up a level and you don't even know it. He's valuable. You saw him carry a heavy latter and it sent a signal that he has strength and probably can fix things, which happens to be important to you as a female no matter how much of a feminist you are and whether you know it or not, because it comes in our nature. If you are lesbian and you have a certain preference, for example, you like girls that are either straight or seem straight, you receive a certain "on" signal when this cute and perky girl smiles at you and immediately looks down awkwardly and then turns away. All of a sudden you feel sparks. If you are a man and are in a room full of people and you meet this woman who is very intelligent and confident that happens to be chatting with everyone and people are impressed, all of a sudden you walk passed her and as she is talking she makes it a point to look your way and smile different than she did to the rest, probably playfully, but still a little shy, only to turn around and continue her conversation with everybody else. Now you feel that you have something special going on. Sparks! Oh no... I just entered a topic that I could dwell on. If I stay here I will write an essay.

I am beginning to think I'm obsessed with this topic. I need to be fixed.

Anyway, my summary is that it's all psychological and very interesting. Fascinating, really.

[Anomalocaris]

Is love just friendship + sexual attraction? Assuming you were straight and single, if your best same sex friend was magically turned into an attractive member of the opposite gender, would you automatically be "in love" with him/her?

This analysis seems to cheapen the concept of "love" that people have because love then only results because of involuntary biological instinct.

I would say we are incapable of doing anything that is not an involuntary biological instinct.

Try it. You instinct tells you to believe that you have free will. Now will yourself to believe otherwise. Try it, you can't

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

There's something more than just friendship and sexual attraction to make up the components of love. I find that often there is an admiration/adoration of the person. There is also an emotional investment in the other person's well-being. When the feeling's mutual, there is also a feeling of mutual understanding that seems almost spiritual.

[Zazzy]

Love is when you still want to fuck someone after helping them through a night of epic diarrhea.

I love my sweetheart.

[Jackalope]

@OP

Beats the fuck outta me.

/serious

[pineapplebunnybounce]

Is love just friendship + sexual attraction? Assuming you were straight and single, if your best same sex friend was magically turned into an attractive member of the opposite gender, would you automatically be "in love" with him/her?

This analysis seems to cheapen the concept of "love" that people have because love then only results because of involuntary biological instinct.

I'm inclined to say yes if my best friend (one of the few people who know me extremely well) magically turns into a guy I would likely fall in love with him sooner or later.

But then I do have a very close friend who's a guy but I'm not in love with him.

So I guess you can't really know how love works, if it works it works.