A word that inspires countless artists and philosophers, love is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It has the power to transform people, relationships and even our world. Yet it’s also a concept that’s difficult to pin down. In fact, love can mean many different things to each person who uses the term. The emotion has been a subject of philosophical, literary and scientific inquiry for centuries. And thanks to recent advances in brain imaging technology, we now have a better understanding of what happens when someone is in love. For the most part, scientists agree that love is a complex combination of lust, attraction and attachment.

In other words, when you fall in love, your brain experiences an influx of chemicals that cause you to focus on the person you love and think about them nonstop. In addition, your body releases hormones that lead to feelings of exhilaration and euphoria. You may feel a surge of energy, sleeplessness, a rapid heart rate, accelerated breathing and other physical sensations that make you want to spend time with the person you love.

For evolutionary biologists, each of these components has an important purpose: Lust encourages sexual reproduction, attraction facilitates discriminating in favor of healthy mates and attachment enables familial bonding. And while this conventional biological model doesn’t exactly capture the full range of emotions that people experience when they are in love, it does provide a starting point for explaining some of the more common facets of this feeling.

People who are in love often describe themselves as being overly concerned with the well-being of their partner. This type of love is sometimes referred to as “selfless love” or “agape.” It’s a kind of self-sacrificing love that can be seen in the way parents and friends remain committed to their children even when their child is engaging in destructive behaviors, or when a person stays with a spouse who suffers from chronic illness.

Another aspect of this type of love is a sense of duty. People who love this way feel a strong obligation to see their partner grow toward the best possible version of themselves. This is what some Christians call divine love.

As you write your essay, be sure to include a variety of sources that offer different perspectives on what love is. When appropriate, use personal anecdotes to support your argument. However, be careful not to rely too heavily on them. And remember, your reader will want to understand how your ideas connect with the larger discussion on love in the essay. By following these tips, you can help your readers grasp the full complexity of the topic and form their own conclusions.