Agnostic.com

18 5

Does love exist?

skado 9 May 26
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

18 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

0

Yes. Since, at least in the most basic forms of, for example, pair bonding and care for offspring, it evolved at least three different times, ( probably many more ) in three different groups of animal, at least, mammals, birds, and fish. Which would be strong evidence that it is caused by quite a strong underlying natural law.

That is the science so far, now merely my speculation.

It is interesting, that it never seems to have evolved in amphibians or reptiles, at least not the modern ones, perhaps because it does seem, that even the pair bond type of love, is related to, and only evolves, in species which exhibit continuing care for offspring. It could be that pair bonding is a needed adaption in species that exhibit care for offspring, but it could also be, that it is at the same time a useful spin-off from parental love. Since nature is always thrifty with adaptations, often making one mechanism serve many roles. ( We use noses to breath, smell, taste and elephants even use them to manipulate, birds use feathers to fly, keep warm and display etc. ) And while therefore love may have evolved to serve the use of parental care, the same mechanism may also have co-evolved, at the same time, to enable pair bonding and other useful social bonds such as love of mutual supporters. ( Friends and allies. ) All of which would be useful to animals giving long term care to offspring.

And there is some evidence that you are looking at one mechanism, since love often expresses itself in the same ways for different groups. We don't notice that, because it seems banal and obvious so we never give it a thought, but it is a notable thing that we actually express different forms of love/affection in the same ways. For example, we kiss our children, our sexual partners and our friends. Where if we are dealing with three separate mechanisms it would be at least plausible to expect different expressions. Which is even more powerfully in the case in for example of the fish called Cichlids, many species of which, mouth brood, or in other words keep their offspring safe by holding them in their mouths. Yet it is also a commonplace in the genera to kiss sexual partners, in other words to use the same organ in a similar way, to express interest in both offspring and sexual partners

1

Ha ha ha! I used to think so.

0

I think you need to define your terms. For starters, how do you define "love"?

Whatever your dictionary says.

@skado my dictionary showed 21 different definitions and I think that barely scratches the surface, which is why I suggested you define what you meant.

@Cyklone

My intent was not to impose my prejudices on the exercise, but to let people respond candidly as they are inclined. I suppose when no particular meaning is specified, the question defaults to "Does love of any description exist?"

@skado fair enough. On a macro level I'd say yes, and I think anyone who's owned a dog or cared for children would agree. And I specify those because presumably in these instances the feeling is not confounded with lust or infatuation. One could argue that on a micro level it is nothing but a series of hormonal changes but I'd respond that the feeling emerges from that in the same way as other complex things, such as economics and culture, emerge from collective processes but are not evident on a micro (individual) level.

3

It does for me

1

IDK about love, but desire sure does

twill Level 7 May 26, 2022
0

It seems to me that you have posted a rhetorical question and are not seeking an answer to it.

I’m seeking your answer to it ( if you care to share ).

@skado

“Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” William Shakespeare

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed".

Carl Jung

“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don’t you?” ― Rumi

Love is certain sweetness of the emotions.....

@ASTRALMAX

Beautiful. Thanks!

@skado You are welcome.

1

I'd say of course, it's a feeling. Are feelings real and would they exist without the body? Is the body real or is it a manifestation of the feelings?
Love exists and in many forms, I know that for sure.

8

ice cream is proof love exist.

A good watermelon too !

5

Yes. I love many. In many different ways.

1

Do not. Know, but proving it only works if you use fun.

7

It does…and in many forms as @Julie808 has set out below. If it’s romantic love in particular you’re referring to and you feel uncertain enough about it to feel the need to ask the question - “Does Love Exist?” - then I’d say you haven’t ever really experienced that most exquisite of emotions. If you had you wouldn’t need to ask the question.

However, it’s by no means the only form of love and the deep and enduring love between parents and children, and other kin, and even between very close friends of the non filial variety or our domestic pets can fall into the category of real love.

You know… sometimes people ask questions, not because they are uncertain of their own views, but because they’re interested in other people’s views. Thanks for sharing yours.

10

Love is a feeling, and feelings exist and can cause joy and pain. There are many kinds of love. I have experienced some types of love and I see people every day professing their love.

Love can be evidenced or proven by actions and deed. Love can be created, nurtured, built, and even faked. It can be felt between a person and other people, places, things, animals, music, art, and a myriad other concepts, real or imagined. It doesn't come from nothing, but is stirred into existence by circumstance.

I'm surely not an expert, but those are my thoughts on this human emotion called love.

From love can come jealousy, protectiveness, compassion, empathy, generosity and many other emotions and feelings. All these interconnected emotions exist in varying degrees and are caused by our interaction with people and things outside ourselves, and is what makes being human more fun than being a rock.

2

For some people it does.

4

Yes.

3

Very much so.

Betty Level 8 May 26, 2022
3

I believe it does but mostly as a familial thing. Between general public it's very rare. Other things get confused as love but, in hindsight, weren't.

3
5

Yes

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:668299
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.