Science has only recently begun to study love. Sigmund Freud believed that science should be interested in love since it had been the subject of creative writing and thousands of years of artistic treatment. Early explorations of love drew criticism from conservative groups and were derided by U.S. Senator William Proxmire. Yet, today, the study of this emotion is a valuable and worthwhile endeavor. Read on to learn more.
Love is defined as an intense, lifelong affection. It is not selfish, nor does it seek to make itself the center of attention. It is long-lasting and spontaneous, and can appear and disappear spontaneously. As such, it is an ideal and noble emotion. To be able to understand what love is, one must understand its definition. It is best understood as a feeling, not as a state of being. And because it is a feeling, it cannot be quantified by words alone.
The different forms of love are rooted in ancient traditions. Some cultures practice erotic love, which focuses on physical attraction and sex. People who practice this kind of love are unlikely to commit and are comfortable ending relationships at any time. However, erotic lovers usually do not feel the need to commit to a relationship and are likely to leave after a short while. Storge love, in contrast, is more mature and emphasizes common interests and open affection, whereas erotic lovers tend to be very immature. They are generally trusting, and do not feel dependent on anyone.
The word “love” in Greek is used to refer to different types of affection. The Ancient Greeks defined four types of love, including sexual love, while modern authors have further distinguished varying forms of romantic love. This makes it more difficult to distinguish between the various meanings of these words. Indeed, it is very difficult to separate meanings in Greek, as we are not able to decipher the different kinds of passion. For instance, the Ancient Greek text of the Bible contains several examples of verbagapo and phileo.
In its simplest form, love is an intense feeling of affection between two people. It is an emotion that can be expressed as physical affection. It can also be expressed through non-sexual love, which involves a sexual relationship. In addition to these types of love, there are many other variations of love. If it’s the sexual attraction between two people, then the relationship is known as erotic love. A lover who is not afraid to express their feelings in a romantic way may be said to be intoxicated with the same feelings as a lover.
In contrast to the sexual love between two people, inter-personal love is more complex. It involves sexual attraction and intense intimacy, and often has a high level of emotional distance between the two people. In erotic love, both partners are focused on physical attraction and are very close to each other. During inter-personal love, both parties are likely to feel ambivalent toward each other, but they may also be able to maintain separate relationships.