This ancient question is one which has been occupying my thoughts somewhat recently. I am searching for a concise definition which can account for all kinds of love, ranging from the simple love for a friend, the deep but sometimes ambiguous love for family, all the way up to that all-consuming love for ‘the one’.
I feel that I have made some progress, though as yet I have been unable to state it satisfactorily.
My idea is based on the notion that our overarching goal in life is to improve, or at least maintain, happiness and well-being. Love then, is where that goal can be satisfied through the happiness and well-being of another, not just ourselves. The more I love someone the more their well-being satisfies my goal and so the more I am willing to sacrifice in order to make them happy.
I would appreciate any other insights into the nature of Love, as well as criticisms of my own effort.
As to the OP, I like your train of thought, except that loving another doesn’t necessarially lead to an increase in their well-being; that is entirely dependant on how you express that love, and how that person reacts to it.
Sometimes, experiencing love for someone does not at all help our own well-being. I’m thinking, in an extreme example, of women who love husbands who beat them and otherwise treat them like second-class citizens.
A little death with no mourning
no call, and no warning.
A dangerous Idea …
that almost makes sense.
Love is a light that dims over time. While it shines, you see the things you will not be able to find when it goes out. Love is what teaches that ignorance is bliss even as it peels away the shroud of ignorance.
Sunspace, I did not say it was a problem, I said it was a trick. It does bring up some questions concerning freewill. There is also the question of if you can truly love someone or are you loving an emotional/mental representation of them that resides in your brain.