From poems to songs to novels and movies, love is one of the most prominent themes in our culture. While scholars, psychologists and researchers differ somewhat on how to define the feeling of love, most agree that it encompasses several primary emotions.
The biological model of love views it as a basic mammalian drive, similar to hunger or thirst. It also is viewed as a complex emotion that arises from a combination of different hormones and neurotrophins.
According to this model, the feelings of love are accompanied by a heightened sense of excitement and an increased desire for intimacy. In addition, the hormones dopamine and adrenaline cause our cheeks to flush and palms to sweat. Interestingly, this same chemical rush is experienced when we experience cocaine addiction.
Another theory of love, rooted in attachment psychology, views it as a necessary bonding process that occurs between an infant and its mother. It is a necessary component of human evolution and the reason why young children seek out parents to protect and care for them.
A third perspective on love is based in caring, which includes valuing the other person’s needs and happiness as much as your own. This is seen in the love between a parent and child or in acts of selflessness, such as giving up a kidney to save someone else’s life. This type of love requires patience and understanding. It is also accompanied by compassion, the ability to empathise with others’ suffering and a strong sense of responsibility.