# Love is....
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 9, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910 "2009-11-09T16:29:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/1 "2009-11-09T16:29:12Z")
Results open to the public, no set ending date, multiple responses permitted, blah blah blah.
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### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/2 "2009-11-09T16:37:17Z")
…a terrible comic strip.
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### Author:  [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/3 "2009-11-09T16:42:37Z")
\_\_ a terrible chemical imbalance. Trust me, we reproduce fine with no lovey feelings whatsoever.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/4 "2009-11-09T16:43:03Z")
> [@bup](#):
>
> …a terrible comic strip.
You didn’t vote. You obviously don’t love me.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/5 "2009-11-09T16:44:51Z")
It’s what nature uses to keep fathers hanging around long enough to help bring up their children.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/6 "2009-11-09T16:48:23Z")
… something that often gets in the way of my sex life.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/7 "2009-11-09T17:14:27Z")
… what I got, don’t start a riot.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/8 "2009-11-09T17:19:44Z")
It’s sort of hard to define, but I tend to define it as action oriented toward alleviating the suffering of another human being. My conceptualization of love is very spiritual and idealistic, but not glamorous. Personal feelings aren’t always relevant. Love is cleaning someone else’s piss off the toilet seat when they get too old to do it themselves. Love is embracing the person you’re committed to when you really feel you have nothing left to give. Love is wishing someone well when you’d rather punch them in the face. That sort of thing.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/9 "2009-11-09T17:35:57Z")
…higher than a mountain. Also thicker than water.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/10 "2009-11-09T17:39:59Z")
“Love is a spiritual, almost mystical connection between two persons, foreordinaed and avolitional.”
Chose “other” because I was about to go with this one until the last phrase, because I firmly believe the process of falling in love is totally volitional, nor do I feel it is “foreordained” (whatever that means).
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/11 "2009-11-09T19:01:36Z")
I was really close to thinking it was going to be all of the above. But 7 and 8 are incompatible with the rest, and 6, while somewhat true, gives evolution way too much credit.
I went ahead and chose 1, although I don’t think it is ever avolitional. I also picked the last one, so…
… doing to others what you would have them do to you (i.e. being altruistic).
… something you do, even if you don’t feel it.
Or what **olivesmarch4th** said, really.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/12 "2009-11-09T19:06:13Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> …higher than a mountain. Also thicker than water.
Love is maple syrup?
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/13 "2009-11-09T19:09:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> …higher than a mountain. Also thicker than water.
This.
Or, like oxygen, get too much and you get too high. Not enough and you’re gonna die.
Or like a rock. (guitar twang!)
Or such an easy game to play, and all our troubles seem so far away.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/14 "2009-11-09T19:50:25Z")
…like a cloud
…strong as steel
…a way of living
…a way to feel
…holding on
…letting go
…everything
… ? don’t know ?
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### Author:  [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/15 "2009-11-09T21:06:05Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> I was really close to thinking it was going to be all of the above. But 7 and 8 are incompatible with the rest, and 6, while somewhat true, gives evolution way too much credit.
I fully agreed. But I picked all the others rather than just two. 😃
Though I don’t believe 6 to be really true. I do believe it has been selected for, but I don’t believe “love” is the term given to that which prevents us from devouring our young…
Otherwise, things like Jellyfish, Ladybugs, and scorpions “love”.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/16 "2009-11-09T21:17:01Z")
> [@ToeJam](#):
>
> Otherwise, things like Jellyfish, Ladybugs, and scorpions “love”.
If only. ☹
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### Author:  [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/17 "2009-11-09T23:25:03Z")
Stoopid Rhymer! You left out: evolution’s way of keeping couples together for the benefit of their mutual offspring. Also 2, 3, and 6.
I’m a biologist who believes in romance, you have a problem with that?
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### Author:  [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/18 "2009-11-10T00:10:59Z")
Really, you’d take 6 over 5? I’d say that 5 is more likely than 6, though I included what you said wasn’t there in my 5.
And Biologist and Romance? Pffft, there’s tons of us out there, join the party- Oxytocin punch is still being served, but we’ve got metaphysical cookies and pie as well!
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### Author:  [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/19 "2009-11-10T01:07:05Z")
> [@ToeJam](#):
>
> Though I don’t believe 6 to be really true. I do believe it has been selected for, but I don’t believe “love” is the term given to that which prevents us from devouring our young…
> Otherwise, things like Jellyfish, Ladybugs, and scorpions “love”.
The option says “strangle.” None of those animals could really strangle their young, so it’s all good! 😃
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-is/516910/20 "2009-11-10T01:08:34Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#):
>
> The option says “strangle.” None of those animals could really strangle their young, so it’s all good! 😃
_Strangle_ is clearly a metaphor.
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