The Science of Love
Science has only recently begun to investigate the science of love, despite the fact that humans spend more time in childhood than any other animal. Psychologists like Sigmund Freud believe that love is the result of thousands of years of artistic treatment and creative writing. Early explorations of love were controversial and attracted some criticism. U.S. Senator William Proxmire derided them as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Still, the evolution of love remains a mystery.
Though most people refer to love as a feeling, the term can also have other meanings. It is commonly used as an expression of personal affection, but it also can refer to a stronger emotion than mere feelings. The term is commonly applied to close friendships and platonic relationships. Although the term is widely used, some people feel that there is a difference between love and friendship. In some cases, love is just an expression of the feelings that one feels towards another person.
Infatuation is the feeling that a person feels for someone without any commitment. This emotion is very common in the beginning of a relationship, and may develop into a long-term love. Passionate love involves intense emotions, idealizing the other person, and a need to be physically close to them. Compassionate love is characterized by feelings of trust, affection, and commitment. In unrequited, or unexpressed, loving relationships, the other person does not feel the same way for the other person.
Agape love, as the Greeks called it, is the highest form of love. It is unconditional, and it never goes away despite our actions. Similarly, Agape love is a form of parent love. Parents, who cherish their children, have unconditional love for them. This type of love is very powerful, and is a very deep feeling. In contrast, erotic love is often a sign of a younger relationship that has not developed to a deeper level.
Storge love is the most mature form of love. The two people share a mutual attraction and are attracted to each other. Their physical attraction is of equal importance to them. In contrast, storge love has little to do with sexual desire. The two are essentially the same in the same way. In other words, they share the same interests and value. They have a common goal, which is to please their significant other. In erotic love, the other person has no ulterior motives.
In the same way, the two types of love are often based on the individual. In erotic love, the focus is on physical attraction and intense intimacy, and the relationships are often unstable, with a lack of commitment. For this reason, advocates of erotic love are not likely to stay committed and are likely to end in divorce. Those who are more mature view storge love as a more mature and stable form of love.