What's love?

[StrongArm]

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

kinda feels like youre putting love up on a pedestal.
love is a human emotion, thus subject to all kinds of imperfections.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

Bondrewd did nothing wrong.

 

[Nekroz]

kinda feels like youre putting love up on a pedestal.
love is a human emotion, thus subject to all kinds of imperfections.

Love is not a human emotion. It is a choice.

Love is to choose God over your own emotions and selfish desires.

 

[gaylolis]

love is a burning thing
and it makes a fiery ring

 

[miyoga]

I'm pretty sure that mythical deities have nothing to do with the chemical processes/reactions that result in the feeling of affection towards another living being or inanimate object. And, scientifically, that is what love is: a chemical reaction resulting in a positive feedback towards something or someone.

 

[APieceOfRock]

It is the thing that you will never get.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

I'm pretty sure that mythical deities have nothing to do with the chemical processes/reactions that result in the feeling of affection towards another living being or inanimate object. And, scientifically, that is what love is: a chemical reaction resulting in a positive feedback towards something or someone.

How does your brain know when to respond like that? Like, do you not choose what to love? Do you have no free will, a slave to random brain chemicals?

 

[StrongArm]

Love is not a human emotion. It is a choice.

Love is to choose God over your own emotions and selfish desires.

Thats a cute interpretation. But its only shared by 31.2% of the world. The rest of us prefer you keep the proselytizing to yourself. also, Religion is a banned topic on this forum

 

[Cipiteca396]

How does your brain know when to respond like that? Like, do you not choose what to love? Do you have no free will, a slave to random brain chemicals?

It's a positive feedback loop. As in, you like something a little. Then you spend some time, and like it a little more. Soon the memory of that thing will make you happy. Then you can be happy with it while also remembering how happy it makes you. Eventually you start to love it.

When you go without it, the loss of the happy chemicals or the production of upset chemicals makes you want to seek it out. You can choose not to, and eventually forget how happy it makes you.

 

[FaustVoncleave]

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away

Love is experience, acceptance, courage and vulnerability. It's not just being with someone, it's learning about a person, experiencing life with them, realizing their flaws they keep hidden away from the rest of the world and accepting them as part of them, all the while hoping they learn and accept the same things about you. Love is giving away a part of yourself to another person without any guarantee they'll give you an equivalent part or bother to explore what you gave them. It's the dumbest and most vulnerable thing a person can do, that's why it can hold such beauty and ugliness.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

It's a positive feedback loop. As in, you like something a little. Then you spend some time, and like it a little more. Soon the memory of that thing will make you happy. Then you can be happy with it while also remembering how happy it makes you. Eventually you start to love it.

When you go without it, the loss of the happy chemicals or the production of upset chemicals makes you want to seek it out. You can choose not to, and eventually forget how happy it makes you.

You're not describing love, but the process of habit formation. A chemical reaction is a poor basis to explain the entire human psyche. And it still doesn't answer how brain knows when to 'like' something. You choose to like or dislike things (actively or passively). It's something beyond just a feedback loop.
Love is something you would choose to do even when you want to do something else. It's not just emotional, but logical as well.

 

[Nekroz]

You're not describing love, but the process of habit formation. A chemical reaction is a poor basis to explain the entire human psyche. And it still doesn't answer how brain knows when to 'like' something. You choose to like or dislike things (actively or passively). It's something beyond just a feedback loop.
Love is something you would choose to do even when you want to do something else. It's not just emotional, but logical as well.

Though I agree with you. I must advice you to stop arguing about this. God does not wish to generate strife, and no man can serve as another's conscience. If God's words will not reach him now then neither will ours.

Still there is a chance that his eyes shall be opened and the glory of God and the truth will be revealed to him. But it is not right now. So we must leave him be and wait a little while longer.
For in due time this world will pass away and all those of unbelief shall know the truth and realize their mistake. So count yourself blessed that you are not numbered amongst them, and that heaven awaits you in your future. Where there will be no strife or suffering, but you will be in the constant presence of God the father.

It'll be glorious beyond compare.

 

[miyoga]

What is love if not a habit that is formed around something? If someone is experiencing the crazy little thing called love, and then that love-inducing whatever is removed we go through a period of heartbreak and sadness. When you really boil it down, that is the textbook definition for habit-based addiction: buildup of chemicals causing euphoria that leads to new and higher base levels resulting in withdrawal after the stimulus has been removed.

Likewise, with anything habit forming, we have the option of taking/using it or leaving it alone. The same is true for "love" and has been studied. People with certain tendencies can experience all emotions except for love because they lack that chemical receptor (an example from fiction, since I won't go into the topic of real-life sociopaths and some criminals, is the Harry Potter character of Voldemort). Religious beliefs are more learned habits that have brought about those same positively correlating chemicals (such as dopamine) in certain elements of the global population and once religion is removed from their lives, they go through all the phases of withdrawal. One of the first stages to present is irritability with those around them, followed by anger towards those people. In this case, these posts going counter to your beliefs would trigger that irritability.

 

[Cipiteca396]

You're not describing love, but the process of habit formation. A chemical reaction is a poor basis to explain the entire human psyche. And it still doesn't answer how brain knows when to 'like' something. You choose to like or dislike things (actively or passively). It's something beyond just a feedback loop.
Love is something you would choose to do even when you want to do something else. It's not just emotional, but logical as well.

It's admittedly oversimplified. It's not like it's just one chemical reaction. It's billions of different things, chemical reactions, neurons, even physical cells. It's a horrifically complicated set-up. If you thought of every person on the planet as a single component of it, it wouldn't even be 5% of the components needed to make a single human brain. The entire planet is less complicated (on a macro scale) than that box of ramen in your skull. That's really cool, don't you think? And it's more than enough to explain the entire human psyche.

I must advice you to stop arguing about this.

You're such a prick. I can't tell if you're a troll trying to make Christians look like condescending snobs, or if you're just so bad at socializing that you think insulting people in the most backhanded manner you can is your obligation as a representative of your god. I hope you're at least as ashamed of yourself as I am for taking the bait.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

What is love if not a habit that is formed around something? If someone is experiencing the crazy little thing called love, and then that love-inducing whatever is removed we go through a period of heartbreak and sadness. When you really boil it down, that is the textbook definition for habit-based addiction: buildup of chemicals causing euphoria that leads to new and higher base levels resulting in withdrawal after the stimulus has been removed.

Likewise, with anything habit forming, we have the option of taking/using it or leaving it alone. The same is true for "love" and has been studied. People with certain tendencies can experience all emotions except for love because they lack that chemical receptor (an example from fiction, since I won't go into the topic of real-life sociopaths and some criminals, is the Harry Potter character of Voldemort). Religious beliefs are more learned habits that have brought about those same positively correlating chemicals (such as dopamine) in certain elements of the global population and once religion is removed from their lives, they go through all the phases of withdrawal. One of the first stages to present is irritability with those around them, followed by anger towards those people. In this case, these posts going counter to your beliefs would trigger that irritability.

It's admittedly oversimplified. It's not like it's just one chemical reaction. It's billions of different things, chemical reactions, neurons, even physical cells. It's a horrifically complicated set-up. If you thought of every person on the planet as a single component of it, it wouldn't even be 5% of the components needed to make a single human brain. The entire planet is less complicated (on a macro scale) than that box of ramen in your skull. That's really cool, don't you think? And it's more than enough to explain the entire human psyche.

You're such a prick. I can't tell if you're a troll trying to make Christians look like condescending snobs, or if you're just so bad at socializing that you think insulting people in the most backhanded manner you can is your obligation as a representative of your god. I hope you're at least as ashamed of yourself as I am for taking the bait.

I'm going to stop arguing because nekroz is right that none of us are really gaining anything other than agitation from the discussion.

We believe different things and arguing isn't going to change anyone's mind here. Besides, it's not my job as a christian to convince others, thats God's job. I speak when I am moved to do so, through God's love or my own.

Peace to all of you.

 

[Cipiteca396]

I'm going to stop arguing because nekroz is right that none of us are really gaining anything other than agitation from the discussion.

We believe different things and arguing isn't going to change anyone's mind here. Besides, it's not my job as a christian to convince others, thats God's job. I speak when I am moved to do so, through God's love or my own.

Peace to all of you.

It doesn't have to be an argument, but thanks for being civil. Good night.

 

[Mellohwa]

I never knew love could be as complicated as you guys describe it

 

[RavenRunes]

'you know, there's a difference between like and love. I like my Skechers but I love my Prada backpack'

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Love is a beautiful, dirty, messy thing that helps us grow as human beings. It is a often mislabeled feeling that people often use to describe desire, lust, or greed.

It exists alongside passion and hatred as emotional sisters as the opposite of love is truly apathy. It is what makes us forge bonds between people, animals, and various things.

Overall love is what causes heartache, and makes people do irrational things without thinking of the outcome, to love is to be human.

 

[Lloyd]

This thread is a good example of what the limitations of the English language can do to a nibba. Some of y'all down bad.