Love by definition may be an emotion explored in literature, philosophy and religion, frequently as either as the love of God, romantic love or the fraternal love of others. As I searched the meaning by means of articles, the Internet and books, I noticed the meanings changed moderately; however, love had similar fundamental understanding.
Whether it is a source of enormous hurt, a pain infliction, or an intense sensation of pleasure, the three immensely different reactions may be common ‘side effects’ of love. For instance, when I was 15 years old, I loved a girl who never liked me because of age. However, when she got older, we started a relationship. After a few years we started to get in problems due to culture and traditions since our culture does not accept relationships out of wedlock; hence, we had to break-up and forget about each other. From then I still remember her and can’t erase my thoughts about her. In truth love has been identified to cause never-ending numerous emotional possibilities. It may be important to consider how love may be able to manifest itself into various aspects of our lives. For instance, how is love capable to leave us self-pitying in a bed of denial, guilt, agony, fortitude, or even cause people to harm themselves physically? Never has a distinct word been identified to both have been rooted to selfish acts and selflessness, presenting itself as kindness and warmth, or hate, abandonment, maliciousness or guile. Yet, the solitary word ‘love’ perhaps has the most adaptable meaning of whichever word identified. The normal person will have the same opinion that love has been employed that its original meaning has been attenuated over the years; this has resulted in an innate change from its anticipated purpose. For instance, it often advances or has been related with statements such as ‘I’m very sorry’, ‘will you forgive me’ or ‘don’t you love me’.
Love in the perspective of forgiveness may be immensely different from its enabling perspective as employed in the second statement. Which perspective coincides with its usual meaning and which perspective has been the product of evolutionally ‘over-usage’? Indeed, as this definition essay will confer, neither statements associates nor uses love as its original meaning intended. The rest of this definition essay tries to refocus our present day misuse of the word ‘love’ and also visits its original origins.
Amusingly enough, the word ‘love’ theoretically may be identified as being passionate for another person arising out of personal ties or kinship, a strong sense of fondness, enthusiasm or attraction for sexual desire surpasses any dictionary definition . In actual fact, it would need tones of pages to explain to properly and illustrate its proper meaning. Initially, the first usages of ‘love’ may be organized into the subsequent four categories. Firstly, Eros forms the origin for the word erotic, signifying love that may be desire and more often than not associated with sexuality. Secondly, Philial forms the origin for the word family, signifying love that is blood-based on a group or relationship. Thirdly, Caritas forms the origin for the love for destiny and the definitive meaning of other human beings. Finally, Agape covers the origin of love for the world, a love that rises above desires and reason, best not only for all humankind, but every existing being and also the earth itself. These four categories were originally expanded and identified over 2,000 years ago by the Greeks.
As the use of the word love developed and became more and more common, its original meaning evolved to its present state. Comparable in the categorization that was originally used by Greeks; I created five disconnected categories of my own. The first, centers on its mainly popular interpretation and usage. This category focuses on how affection, fondness and acceptance define its significance. The second, contrasts stridently from the first and is focused primarily on the destructive nature of its impending to cause abuse or/and pain that is self inflicted. The third focuses on love in relation to sex. The fourth focuses on the practice of love in relation to cosseting in non-living things; for instance, food. The last category focuses on eccentric usages of love not connected to the previous categories. As I have illustrated in the contemporary meanings of the word love, it has evolved from the ‘Greek roots’ to acquire further meanings.
Since emotions tend to turn the center of attention on the positive features of its usage, it may be imperative to know what function ‘love’ plays into the outlook of abusive characters. For instance, most abusive characters use love to justify and aid their hurtful deeds. The use of love in this circumstance reflects the personality of the abuser. As the utterance ‘love’ acts successfully as a weapon that destroys, hinders and defeats the abuser’s intended target. The abused person becomes desperate and weak as he/she creates a fake sense of what love may be used in the doing something. Love in this perspective acts as shackles or a chain for preventing the victim to escape from his/her abuser. What confuses most people may be how the victim is able to carry on with the abuse. Many psychologists and psycho-therapists suggest that the squalid high that one acquires, while feeling strong pain may also be similar to the feeling of love. Based on this psychoanalysis it may be worth querying may be what love’s main channel is? Understanding love, as this essay explains from a psychotherapists and psychological stance, may be easy to study the connotative scenery of love in connection to its less dreadful characteristics and meanings. For instance if a person experiences similar sensation through cutting himself/herself, as others experience when engaging in sexual acts or through eating certain foods, then it may be easy to observe how can people may be able to commit personally-inflicted acts of hurt.
Nonetheless love may not be just a feeling from pain as it’s closely associated with corporeal sexuality. An instance of its application in relation to sex frequently occurs, when non-family members utter, ‘I love you’ which I often argue has sexual nuances. Regularly, we may be sucked into the frontage of being in the so-called ‘love’ that more properly resembles obsession. Individuals frequently misconstrue the disparity between the two as they equally evoke emotions that are strong. While love may not be purely physical it may be a key element of the sexual scenery occurring among two parties. This condition, which varies from casual-sexual relations, allocates a unique emotional link besides the actual bodily act. As may be the result, most individuals intertwine sex and love as being similar. As technically explained, the brain responds to sex in a similar mode to how other individuals reveal strong emotions while eating yearned foods or drug abusers who have their fix. As love rises above physical abuse and sexuality, its spectrum comprises of love or indulgence of food. The Love of food much similar to love that commits individuals to commit self-inflicting acts. Because food, sex and drugs purportedly share the alleyways in the brain, all of them can be easily connected to love.
In conclusion, most of the contemporary perspectives in which love may be commonly used are overextended, superficial and debilitating. Further deduction suggests that the motivation that love broadens to represent a multitude of different denotations varies with the distinctiveness of each individual’s nature. As we have observed, love can be entwined to tolerating abuse, justifying abuse to loved ones, codependency and overindulge resulting in self-inflicting pain through cutting or love for food. The affiliation among individuals and the mediums to put across love, exampled has an arousing bond as greater or strong as accepted love constructs based on traditional relationships or sex. Consequently, the argument may be easily made that the perspective of love in the wide range of meaning explored in this essay may be equally pertinent. This relevancy may be based on the significance of exploring how diverse love examples reveal characteristics that may be similar.
Works cited
Jensen, Margaret. Love’s Sweet Return: The Harlequin Story. Bowling Green: Bowling Green University.
