Submitted by Magenta Ray on
One of the most googled questions ever is "What is love?" So, in view of its popularity alone I felt compelled to look into this. I hope that those reading my response will get some insights. An insight is something you get which allows you to achieve something that could not have been achieved had it not been for that insight.
So, here's my answer to that very pertinent question 'what is love?' Here are the insights: What I have gained from learning about love.
Love is...
1 Having a deep and genuine love for yourself. How do you expect the cycle of love to come back on you when you haven't began with a real deep and genuine love, compassion and acceptance for yourself?
2 An innate love or natural urge towards partnership; caring for one's spouse, family and children...
3 An innate love towards groups; being in teams and teamwork.
4 An innate love of the human race. A natural want to care for cultures, communities, preserve populations... etc.
5 An innate love and natural instinctive urge to want to care for the life on this planet.
6 An innate love for Mother Earth; the environment...
7 Having an innate love for all things spiritual.
8 An innate love for God, Goddess, All-There-Is. (I have written it in this form to avoid a narrow interpretation). Notice if you turn 8 at right angles it becomes: ∞ which is infinity!
Love means accepting a loved one for the way they are or the way they are not. -For me, this is the single most effective insight I have ever gained and learned about love.
For further insight it is also very effective to know what love is not
Love is NOT:
Thinking the person you love is like the car you have, or the clothes you're wearing. That is, love is not possession.
Love is not belongingness, feelings, emotions, chemistry or domination... All these things can only be the effects of love. Tie these things in with the false understanding they are love then this could lead to confusion or victimhood drama. Learn to discern what love actually is when these things show up in your life.
So, above all, I would say, do realize that love is something that we do not understand.
Paul A. Phillips