What is Love

Random Thoughts and Reflections on Love

How do you define love?

Some say it's mysterious, magical, complex, difficult, imaginary, thought-provoking, inspirational, intuitional, joyous, immeasurable, ecstasy, and undefinable. Perhaps.

In one of Dr. John Gray's audio cassettes he defines love as follows: "Love is a feeling directed at someone which acknowledges their goodness."

On the same cassette, he refers to the definition by M. Scott Peck: "The willful intent to serve the well being of another."

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 with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

My favorite is by Paramahansa Yogananda: "To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."

Love itself is a universal experience. Yet, every individual occurrence - while perhaps bound by a common thread - seems absolutely unique. Love is what love is! To everyone it expresses itself differently.

"All You Need is Love!"
The Beatles

"All You Need Is Love" was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the "Our World" live television spectacular performed by the Beatles in June, 1967. 400 million people around the world saw the program. The number was included on the Yellow Submarine album.

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Love is the answer to "all" questions!

It is important to stand in Love, not fall into it.

Love is waking up to find the object of your affection in the dream you were having asleep on your shoulder.

Could it be that Love is a story that can never be fully expressed?

Love is a bond or connection between two people that results in trust, intimacy, and an interdependence that enhances both partners.

Love is the ability and willingness to allow those you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you. - Leo Buscaglia

Making Love is the highest level and the most loving way we can physically express or demonstrate our Love for our love partner. Everyone knows that the sexual experience can be the single most loving, most exciting, most powerful, most exhilarating, most renewing, most energizing, most affirming, most intimate, most uniting, most stress-relieving, most recreative physical experience of which humans are capable.

When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't Love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still Love you, they Love you even more. - Matthew - age 7

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. - Mary Ann - age 4

Logic says everything in this world has a cause and an effect. True Love is the only feeling which is its own cause and its own effect. It is something illogical and yet above all logic. I Love her because I Love her, and I Love her so I Love her. - Prateek Kumar Singh

Love is comforting someone in need of Love and having them know that somebody cares.

Love is looking past imperfections in your partner and seeing the beautiful person inside. True love seeks the happiness and well being of your partner. Love expresses itself in the mutual respect you demonstrate to your partner.

Guys, this one is for you! - Love is letting your partner have the TV remote for 30 days!

Love must be experienced. Its meaning is infinite and can never be totally defined.

The opposite of Love is fear. Think about it.

There is no fear in Love; but perfect love casts out fear. - Bible

God is love.

Love is loving someone without expecting anything in return; no judgments, no restrictions; no limitations; no expectations!

True Love is the nature of bliss.

Love is expressed when you are being someone who loves someone for who they are, not who you think they should be.

I was nauseous and tingly all over. . . I was either in Love or I had smallpox. - Woody Allen

Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love. - St. Bernard 1090-1153, French Theologian and Reformer

Teach only Love for that is what you are. - A Course In Miracles

Love is a decision.

If you want Love, you must first Love. Love begets Love. You cannot deliver from an empty wagon. You must first learn to Love yourself before you can give Love.

"If you Loved me, you would. . ." Not! Love is not manipulative. It must never be used to get others to do what you want. When you Love someone you never ask them to sacrifice a part of themselves in the name of Love. This form of manipulation contaminates our Love for another.

Can't Buy Me Love! - The Beatles

Love is to like with a great intensity.

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True love has a foundation of integrity, respect, faith and trust. Love is the force that brings about unity and harmony.

Although love is at the root of our basic nature, Love for another human being must be cultivated. It takes time for Love to mature.

Is your love free and unconditional, or is it mixed with various needs, conditions and demands from your partner?

The road to self-discovery is paved with Love.

Love has no meaning other than the meaning "we" give it.

Perhaps. . . Love just Is. While in its allness and in its nothingness, all we need to do is simply let it Be.

To demonstrate Love. . . say, "I Love you" - outloud - at least once each day to someone you love. There is magic in these three little words. Saying "I love you" is the most beautiful gift you can give to your partner. These words are the most treasured a person can hear. To be different, say, "I Love you" in a foreign language.

What Is Love?

One must understand whether "what is love" can be a question which can be answered? Love cannot be a question. For, if it is a question then an answer should be there. If the answer is there, where is it? This question is ancient and an answer should have been found by now! If the answer has been found, the question would have disappeared.

But the question still remains, meaning the answer has not been found. If it has not been found as yet, then what is the certainty that it will be found? Maybe the mind can never find the answer! A single answer, which will please all minds, is not possible for each mind has its own ideas of love. Hence a universal answer is an illusion.

Individual answers are there for love and for this very reason there are arguments about love for each mind will contradict the answer of another mind. This contradiction is normal for each mind lives in a different point in time. Hence "what is love" is an illusionary question, which has no answer! - Dr. Vijai S. Shankar

I love you. Yeah! YOU!

next: The ABC's of Celebrating Love!