7 Other Definitions of Real Love Worth Considering

Various disciplines and schools of thought define love quite differently depending on their focus and perspective.  Here are seven composite, summary definition statements culled from seven differing theoretical approaches to defining love.

1.  An  Artistic Definition of Love
Love is the art of treating the loved beautifully.  This art is accomplished, as in all the arts, by skillful performance which is acquired by experience, study, observation and training.  The aim of the art known as love is to powerfully and ingeniously create mutual, beautiful, aesthetic living experiences for and with the loved sometimes resulting in exquisite, awesome, intimate enrichment unavailable by any other means.

2.  A  Behavioral Economics Definition of Love
Real love can be defined as a special case of equity theory.  A person emotionally invests, has their investments accepted and gets a positive, equitable return on their emotional investment in this definition.  This causes further investment and as additional returns build up emotional equity is stored.  The stored emotional equity can be drawn upon in times of negative return or low return.  However, unless the accumulated, emotional equity is considerable severe loss or continued lengthy low returns can lead to a cessation of emotional investment which in turn can lead to a cessation of the love relationship.

3.  An Evolution Psychology Definition of Love
Love is a powerful, evolutional, genetically encoded survival mechanism whereby those life forms that strongly attach to one another, or to some entity, produce a survival advantage often involving superior cooperation, collaboration, coordinated effort, unity of purpose, defensive tactics and strategies, and mutually reinforcing pleasure-based, pain avoidant bonding.

4. A Metaphysical Definition of Love
Love is metaphysically defined as the prime cause of cosmos and opponent of chaos, the pre-eminent, transcendent uni–force in the universe uniting all being and creation together which in its ontological, highest earthly manifestation, is the root life force permeating and guiding all life toward life’s greatest transcendental advancements, wholeness and primacy.

5.  A  Neuroscience Definition of Love
Love is a poorly understood neurochemical, and perhaps neural electrical phenomenon, probably primarily processed in the brain’s limbic system which was genetically evolved to make us value, join with and assist the survival and healthful well-being of those loved usually via interactional relationships.

6.  A  Psycho-Socio-Dynamic Definition of Love
Love is that which produces a set of internal feeling states by which one senses great affection, care, warmth, positive regard, continuing attraction, intimate personal connection and a desire to share with, be beneficial to, protect and experience happiness interacting with who or what is loved.

7.  A Theological Definition of Love
According to the theologies of many world religions real love is defined something like: the true and total nature of God and, thus, the most important of all things, the essence of all that is deific, the substance and the essence of true spirituality, the first and always force which birthed creation, the core power of divinity, the source of all other real loves, that which if we are without makes us as nothing even if we have all other virtues, faith, powers, knowledge, talents and wealth, and that which we are to be about above all else.

Note: please remember that these seven definitions are just composite samples of the many love definition efforts in a wide variety of varying schools of thought and study.  With that in mind, let us suggest that you might want to work on your own personal definition of love.

♥ Love Success Question
Has your heart made mistakes or been confused about real love and, therefore, needs the help of your head?

As always – Go and Grow with Love

Dr. J. Richard Cookerly

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Definition of Love Series

Suggested Reading Sequence

An Introduction: What is Love Dr. Cookerly?
The Definition of Love
A More ‘Ample’ Definition of Love
How This Definition of Love was Derived
A Dozen Things LOVE IS and A Dozen Things LOVE IS NOT
A Functional Definition Of Love
A Behavioral (Operational) Definition of Love
What About a Scientific Definition of Love?
7 Other Definitions of Real Love Worth Considering