Love

1gr8bldr

Senior Member
Maybe I can explain it this way; Did you decide to love your children? or do you just love them. The first sounds like it would come from a step mom. The second from a mother or father. Which would you rather have as a son or daughter?
 

ted_BSR

Senior Member
RonnieT and Gordon2 have it right. Love is a verb. There are several different kinds of love which RonnieT pointed out, but it is definetly a verb. Action required. Decision required. The warm fuzzy feeling that happens is a byproduct of the action. It is a verb. You have to decide to do it.
 

pbradley

Senior Member
Because it was getting a bit rude to be posting in that other thread, and it's an interesting discussion.. lets move it over here.

I define love as such:

Love is our involuntary response to virtue... for good or for bad. I feel we recognize virtues in other people, that we hold important in ourselves... it means love might be brought on by different virtues by different people.

For instance to some, spirituality might be a big virtue that one might involuntarily respond to...

So saying that, i don't think you can love someone you've never met or know nothing about, its hollow. It sounds nice when you say it, but when you think about it it doesn't mean much.

So.. what is your definition of love?


Sounds like you've been reading Ayn Rand.

Love is a state wherein the happiness and well-being of another are essential to your own happiness and well-being.
 

1gr8bldr

Senior Member
Sounds like you've been reading Ayn Rand.

Love is a state wherein the happiness and well-being of another are essential to your own happiness and well-being.
That is a good way of putting it, which takes into account "love as oneself"
 

ted_BSR

Senior Member
Genetic change in groups of organisms over generations

I agree, I would simplify it as, "change over time". Civilizations or politics can also evolve, without genetics coming into play at all.

Here is another question about evolution. Do you consider it to explain the origins of man? For example, all life evolved from single celled organisms. Do you believe that sea slugs and gorillas, and humans all "evolved" from a common ancestor?
 

Four

Senior Member
I agree, I would simplify it as, "change over time". Civilizations or politics can also evolve, without genetics coming into play at all.

It could be, but in the context i was referring to it was biological evolution by natural selection.

Here is another question about evolution. Do you consider it to explain the origins of man? For example, all life evolved from single celled organisms. Do you believe that sea slugs and gorillas, and humans all "evolved" from a common ancestor?

It's the explanation for all complex life so far. The only thing it doesn't encompass is when the inorganic became organic.

Do you believe that sea slugs and gorillas, and humans all "evolved" from a common

Yes.
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
Love is a state wherein the happiness and well-being of another are essential to your own happiness and well-being.
I understand what you're saying but this is also something of "co-dependency".

However, being free to contribute to another's best interests despite what they feel about you is love. It's sacrificial, not based on feelings, although feelings can and will come, good or bad. Our Lord went to the cross for all, "while we were yet sinners", regardless of them.
 

ted_BSR

Senior Member
It could be, but in the context i was referring to it was biological evolution by natural selection.



It's the explanation for all complex life so far. The only thing it doesn't encompass is when the inorganic became organic.



Yes.

Again, I know the question was not posed for me, and this is probably a topic for another thread, but I have to deny your definition of evolution. Yup, I am an evolution denier (per your definition).

And I have another off topic question. What do you mean by “when the inorganic became organic”? Thanks, Ted
 

Dr. Strangelove

Senior Member
I don't believe that love has to be defined in a spiritual context. It's an emotion, how do you define anger, happiness, etc? We all have our own definitions.

Love to me is caring about someone or something beyond yourself and your own needs. It's being willing to let someone go and live a different life without you because you both will be better off in the long run. It's discipling a child when you know they are hurting themselves when it would be easier to just let it go. It's telling a friend or family member "No" when you know your help would just keep them on the same self-destructive road.

I also believe you can't have love without hatred. Funny how some of the people we have loved the most become the most hated. A very good friend of mine for most of my life once said "There's a very fine line between love and hate", we don't talk anymore and it's because we let things go too far because we cared about each other too much to tell each other what we felt.
 

ted_BSR

Senior Member
I don't believe that love has to be defined in a spiritual context. It's an emotion, how do you define anger, happiness, etc? We all have our own definitions.

Love to me is caring about someone or something beyond yourself and your own needs. It's being willing to let someone go and live a different life without you because you both will be better off in the long run. It's discipling a child when you know they are hurting themselves when it would be easier to just let it go. It's telling a friend or family member "No" when you know your help would just keep them on the same self-destructive road.

I also believe you can't have love without hatred. Funny how some of the people we have loved the most become the most hated. A very good friend of mine for most of my life once said "There's a very fine line between love and hate", we don't talk anymore and it's because we let things go too far because we cared about each other too much to tell each other what we felt.


Funny, you called it an emotion, but every description you gave about love was an action (a verb).
 
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