Mistakes. Heartbreaks. We don’t ask for what we receive, but sometimes we become better from it. We’ve never known what “love” really is, but we do know it makes are stomach ache and it makes us drop everything. So what is it that makes us feel that strong attachment to another? Is it a whimsical feeling that comes over us when we meet “the one? ” Is it a naturally occurring chemical cocktail mixing together in our brains? Throughout this paper I will be sharing what I’ve found from exploring the topic of love. Hopefully by the end we will all have a better understanding of what love really is.
After reading most of the articles I’ve collected about love I’ve noticed that they all refer to Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. This theory suggests that there are three components to love and a different combination of them make up different kinds of love. The three components are intimacy, passion, and commitment. Intimacy and passion make up what is called romantic love. Passion and Commitment make up fatuous love. Commitment and intimacy make up companionate love. If you combined all three components you get consummate love, which is what everyone wants their relationship to have.
From a biology stand point; it is hypothesized that things such as hormonal changes, things that happen to you throughout your life, can change your brains chemistry. This can lead to someone being susceptible to stimulation from another person, which ultimately leads them to falling in love. Our choices in one person over another have to do with stimulating positive memories from our early memories which are recorded in our hippocampus, which is also connected to the amygdala. Recent research has examined different types of love. Which is done by testing for differences in the neural correlates of participants viewing or thinking about targets with whom they have love relationships of different types. ” (Polner and Clark 48) The experiments have boundaries though; the experiment is based on “self-reported” feelings of love. Studies on the chemical correlation in the brain are examined similarly to the first study. It examines self-reported feelings of love and different levels of biochemical in the body. Conclusions from these experiments have varied; from what has been examined, love is a reward, it’s an emotion, a motivation, love is similar to a sickness.
The Essay on Love Makes Our Hearts Gentle
Love is an intense affection for another person based on personal or family ties, a strong affection for or attachment to another person based on regard or shared experiences or interests. Love is something that builds from friendship. Clearly love is not restricted to sexual relationships, but can also be between two extremely close friends. They will always be there for each other, and can share ...
Also hormones such as oxytocin can create love. Neuroscience as a whole still doesn’t have a clear outlined understanding about what love is. It also appears that people don’t know how to clearly define love. Instead people offer examples that suggest the presence of love. From the articles retrieved on the neurobiological chemical makeup of love, it is agreed that there are four main chemicals that make up the feeling of love. Dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin; the high levels of dopamine that are being produced in the brain mean that a person will feel high levels of pleasure and motivation.
The high levels of dopamine also mean a person is less likely to feel sad. The high levels of oxytocin means a person will find it easy to become attached and to trust the other individual. The high levels also reduce a person’s feeling of fear. High levels of vasopressin lead to heightened feelings of attraction and sexual arousal. It also means a person will have less anxiety. When a person is in love their serotonin levels will be low which means that a person will have heightened feelings of obsessive thinking and aggression.
These chemicals mixed together produce a feeling of love. The foundation for research in this field comes from four major developments. The first was Charles Darwin, who proposed that the evolution of the species is due to the success of the reproductive process. This led to what are still popular topics; attachment theory, how we chose our significant other, etc. The second development came from Sigmund Freud. Freud research and theory on love feature many basic principles on the mind and love.
The Essay on Love Or Lust Feelings For That Person Start
Throughout our lives we are seeking love in one way or another. At times we are wanting love so much that sometimes lust can be portrayed as love. As we listen to other people and there stories of love, we too begin to yur n for the same feeling of love. And at times we may take that feeling of lust as a substitute for that feeling of love. Many times we as people are waiting for love and begin to ...
Such as the importance of early childhood experiences, the role of defense in shaping the behavioral expression of motives, and the role of sexuality as a force in human behavior. The third significant figure was Margaret Mead. Mead’s work on cultural variations in many aspects of love and sexuality has led current researchers to consider culture variations of love and socialization. The final influential figure was Kurt Lewin. Lewin didn’t do much research that was directly related to love, but he proved the possibility of social processes being examined in a lab.
Succeeding these founding figures was Harry Harlow, and John Bowlby. They proved that maternal love and caregiving could be observed, understood, and investigated. Their work done on maternal love and caregiving set up the biological based approach. In the last decade neuroimaging like the functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) have helped draw a better picture of the brain in love. An “FMRI measures the change in blood flow and oxygenation that is produced in the brain in response to the presentation of a broad verity of stimulation. ” (Ortigue, Bianchi-Demicheli, Patel, Frum & Lewis 2010).
From what has been examined in the FMRI studies, love triggers the area of the brain showing motivation, emotion, reward, social cognition, attention, and self-representation. It seems that recently research has been focused in gaining a better view of what our bodies are communicating to us when we are experiencing feelings of love, and what parts of us are affected. Research on how culture shapes the experience and expression of love, and how love is shaped by experiences in interaction with particular others has only recently became a focus for researchers.
Most of the research that has been done deals with an individual who loves another person. In his book Teach only love (1983), G. G. Jampolsky discusses the fact that the bottom line common denominator in life and death situations is love. He expands that notion to include all human relations. He feels this is the most important part of the work on love he has done over the years. He emphasizes the need for love in healing both physical and emotional wounds. It is just as important to put that in practice in everyday life.
The Essay on The most meaninful experience of my life
For many people the most meaningful experience of their lives is well defined, clear and concise. One given occurrence, at a given time and in a clear setting can change the meaning of life for a person. One late night I sat down in a quiet room in my house to think about my personal experiences, the only sound in the house came from an old mantel clock, which I like to keep wound and on time. I ...
Few of us are in danger of being too loving or too compassionate. For that reason, it might be useful to have an occasional reminder about the value of treating each other with more love and kindness. Both seem to be in short supply in the world, and a number of people have problems due to not having experienced enough love. Most of us, it would seem, are looking for more love in our lives. You also have to love yourself before you can love anyone else and that is a widely excepted concept throughout the study of love. Finding the right person to love takes honesty and communication.
Your body’s chemistry can change because of life events. Our bodies constantly are changing and adapting and that will have an effect on how we choose to express our love to other people. Being up front and honest with your partner about what you need from the relationship can keep those different feelings of love going. It’s when you stop that, you start to feel your body switch gears. Love is a complicated research topic because there are so many underlining levels that bring us to how we love and our biological makeup can have an effect on that.
