Why Do We Love?

[Inter4]

Yep. That's right. Why do we love?
If we are (according to my evolutionist friends ) only thinking animals, then how did we develop this feeling since animals don't love? (at least they don't seem to love... )

LOVE intended as the human way..not life-partners..

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Who says animals don't love? Some monkeys will stay partners for life.

 

[andrewgprv]

animals love

Penguins find a single mate and remain monogomous for life.

 

[stratego]

how did we develop this feeling since animals don't love?

of course animals love. How else do they produce little animals.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Rape

 

[Inter4]

there is no need to love to reproduce

EDIT: and the point of the thread is not if animals love...the point is why do we love?

 

[floppa21]

I would venture to say it is a comfort thing. There is human contact and the mental view that you are not alone and also consider the stability it can offer in so many ways. It can help financially, mentally, spiritually.

Very similar to other things that people decide to believe in or think or do, it helps people cope with life and everyday stresses.

I would not say it is necessary, but some things are such as human contact, breeding, etc.

 

[cgannon64]

Love isn't a human emotion, it is the emotion of any of the higher beings, including God. It is the higest emotion. The point of life is to love; the point of creation is to love. Without love, the world is meaningless.

You can't ask 'why' do we love, because there is no answer. We love because we must. It is why we are here.

EDIT: Monogamy IS NOT love. It can be, but it not necessarily a sign of it. Ask yourself if every couple married for life really loves each other, or are they just sticking with it? Love is only found in thinking animals, it is a complex emotion not a knee-jerk one.

 

[andrewgprv]

Love acutally is your instincts kicking in and telling you you've found a good pair of genes to match your own. Our mind senses and picks up on countless things that our consious mind is not aware of. We notice the slightest things of smell and skin and these tell us signs about the genes of the potential mate. By kissing we are testing the immune system of our mate. When we find a good match boom....love. Our minds are rushed with endorphines and we feel gooood. In fact it is very similar to a drug. The first stages of infatuation are much like being on a high of natural chemicals and this is why many people bounce from realtionship to relationship looking for this infatuation high. Later down the road the body releases different endorphines if we are still with the same person and instead these endorphines give us a feeling of calming and peace.

 

[cgannon64]

Well, there is one depressing way to look at it. Did you just come back from "Dopamine" or something?

 

[andrewgprv]

I do not think that looking at love from a evolutionary/biological stance is depressing at all. I think that it may seem depressing if we have built of love in our minds to be some mystical magical experience. Love is a great thing, I am deeply in love right now and I love every minute of it

Just because I know love is not some magicall thing does not diminish my enjoyment of it in the slightest. I am just more aware of what I am really going through when I am in love.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Love is the basic human need for compannionship and for someone to care

it is as neccessary as shelter and money

 

[cgannon64]

I think your post was referring much more to physical attraction. Love also has a mental state. I have not experienced it, but I'm sure it is much more than a chemical reaction.

 

[andrewgprv]

I have experienced love, as I said I am in love right now. And yes it is mental. Those chemical reactions going on inside you have quite the effect on your mental state.

Love usually comes in two stages infatuation. Which usually does involve much physicallity. This is when people have someone in their head and can't stop thinking about them. When they jabor non stop about that someone etc.... The Romeo and Juliet type of love. This is when pleasurable endorphines and happy endorphines are realeased (not sure exactly what endorphines)

As time progresses you will often hear people talk of who their love has changed or how it has matured. In fact different endorphines are being released in the body. They did studies where they toke long time married couples and let them smell their mates sweat or see a picture of their mate and the chemicals released were stress relieving, calming chemicals. (I don't remeber their names)

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

I don't know.

And I really don't care!

 

[andrewgprv]

For some reason people are disappointed when certain mysteries are explained. As if understanding something diminishes it's importance. This is why I personally believe so many people are resentfull of science.

 

[cgannon64]

You make it sound like such a pointless reaction, andrewgprv. I don't deny that love is chemical - that is how our brain works, after all - but I think love as alot more to do with personalities, which is something that isn't easily explained by chemical reactions.

 

[Serutan]

Originally posted by cgannon64
You make it sound like such a pointless reaction, andrewgprv. I don't deny that love is chemical - that is how our brain works, after all - but I think love as alot more to do with personalities, which is something that isn't easily explained by chemical reactions.

Well, you can try to define love mystically, chemically, or emotionally,
or some other way, but whatever causes it, it is an evolved bonding
force to keep couples together, because if there was only sex, then, as the saying goes, "Why get a cow when milk is so cheap?"

 

[Richard III]

Originally posted by Pontiuth Pilate
I don't know.

And I really don't care!

Exactly. Who gives a damn why? It's good, so why not?

 

[stratego]

So how does like grow into love? People claim to love each other in high school relationships, but they might just be horny.

How do you when is it love? is it when you can't stop think of that certain someone, or what? I may think I'm in love with a certain girl because I can't stop thinking about her, but I might just be horny.