Love is a complex feeling, which can be shaped by many different factors. It encompasses a host of emotions and feelings, including compassion, forgiveness, jealousy, attachment and commitment. It can be a powerful motivator for people, whether they are working towards a creative project, striving to improve themselves as individuals or trying to overcome obstacles in their relationship. Love is a fundamental element in most romantic relationships, but it can also be found in non-romantic relationships, friendships and family bonds. It’s the reason we forgive our partners for their annoying habits, put in the hours at work to make sure our children are happy and support our favourite sports team. But how can we truly understand what love means?

There is no definitive answer to this question, but some experts believe that true love is more than just a temporary feeling. True love requires a commitment to the relationship, trust and mutual respect. It’s an emotional and spiritual bond that lasts through many ups and downs in life.

Other psychologists argue that love isn’t really an emotion at all, but more of a physiological motivation. They claim that just like hunger, thirst, sleep or sex drive, love is something we have to have in order to survive.

While scientists may disagree about the definition of love, there is agreement that there are several types of it. Some researchers have categorized these into three styles: manic, pragma and agape. Manic love is driven by intense feelings, whereas pragma love is based on practical considerations such as making sensible decisions about relationships. Agape is self-sacrificing love, which involves caring about others before yourself. Some people have a mix of these styles.

In literature and cinema, we see many different expressions of love. We see it in the way characters look at each other, the ways they touch and communicate. Showing these expressions of love in your writing is a great way to bring your readers into the story and make them feel invested in the romance.

Another key aspect of a successful romance is trust and security. You need to trust that your partner will be there for you when you need them, and that they won’t leave you when things get tough. This type of love is cultivated over time, through getting to know one another and through many shared experiences.

This article was originally published on The Conversation AU and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Deakin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

This content is freely available to all Australians and can be republished under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Please attribute the article to Deakin University and link back to the original article.

This content was created by The Conversation AU, a not-for-profit news organization focused on inspiring dialogue about Australia’s most important issues. Read more articles from The Conversation AU.

The Conversation AU is funded by the Australian Government.