“How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?”
— Albert Einstein
Love, perhaps more than most emotions, is difficult to define. It's easier to know when you are in love than to say what that love feeling is. Philosophers and psychologists both have attempted, and still attempt, to define love, or at least the difference between love and similar emotions. In this howto we will attempt the same. If you are looking to find love, these steps will guide you in the right direction.
Steps
1. Define love from the dictionary. The dictionary defines love in the many ways we use the word. For example love is:
* A strong positive emotion of regard and affection; "his love for his work"; "children need a lot of love"
* Any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love";"he has a passion for **** fighting";
* To have a great affection or liking for; "I love French food"; "She loves her boss and works hard for him"
* Beloved: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
* A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction; "their love left them indifferent to their surroundings"; "she was his first love"
* To get pleasure from; "I love cooking"
* A score of zero in tennis or squash; "it was 40 love"
* Be enamored or in love with; "She loves her husband deeply"
* Sexual love: sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people; "his lovemaking disgusted her"; "he hadn't had any love in months"; "he has a very complicated love life".
2. Define love like The Greeks, who defined a great deal of our current civilization, divided love into four flavors:
AGAPE
Agape love is an unconditional love. It loves and cares when there is no apparent reason to care. A good example is the type of love religious people think God shows toward people.
PHILEO
Phileo love is that “something” that you see in another person that draws you to be their friend.
STORGE
Storge is a physical show of affection like Hug and Kiss that results from a pure motive. It is often illustrated by the love a family has for one another.
EROS
Eros is the fulfillment of the physical sexual desire that a husband and wife show toward each other.
3. Define love yourself. Nobody knows your love like yourself. Define your own love and write down the feelings so you can understand them later:
* Be aware during those moments when you feel love towards anyone or anything.
o Consider if they are always there for you, and if you are always there for him or her.
* Think about whether you'd feel the same way if the other person's looks were to change.
* Capture that feeling with metaphors, and string them all together into a poem or song.
* For inspiration, read Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous poem, "How Do I Love Thee?"
* Remember 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a... "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. Love never fails." If this is not how you feel, then you may not be in love.
Tips
* Find objects that symbolize your love (rings and roses are classic examples) and give them to whomever you love.
Warnings
* When you find true love, be careful. That type of love remains with you forever.
* True love may come only once in a lifetime.
* Just because you feel this way doesn't mean the other person does!
* If someone tells you true love only happens once, they have seen too many Disney films. People are capable of loving many times, so if your "true love" turns out to be abusive or makes you cry more than smile, don't hang on just because you think you will never love this way again.
* Remember that your friends love you too, and if all of your friends think there is something wrong or unhealthy with your relationship/infatuation, you should really examine that. You may think that they don't see what you see in someone. However, they may see something that you don't too. They love you and want you to be happy, and that's what you need to remember when thinking about the concerns they express about your chosen partner.
* Remember there are many levels of love, and pure love is unconditional love. Just because someone says they love you doesn't mean they love you purely nor that they don't love you. Their actions will tell.
* Love is all that is. Love knows nothing but love. Love transcends mind. Love is a feeling you feel when you feel you're feeling a feeling you never felt before. Love is the inner substance of light.
* Love is an effervescent feeling that seems to escape definition.
Things You'll Need
* A True Heart and yourself
):-)