Whether it is an intimate relationship or a friendship, love is one of the most important emotions in our lives. It is a feeling of affection, commitment and passion. Although it may seem obvious, many people have difficulty defining love.
In the early 1980s, psychologist Robert Sternberg developed a triangular theory of love. This theory suggests that intimacy, passion and commitment are the three main components of love. It is also thought that love is biologically programmed.
The concept of love was developed in the ancient Greeks. These Greeks used different words to describe their various forms of love. The love between Romeo and Juliet was romantic love.
In Chinese tradition, there are two philosophical underpinnings of love. Confucianism emphasizes the action of love, while Buddhism focuses on the attitude. These two philosophical systems have been studied and built upon by modern researchers.
The Hebrew Bible and the Torah command us to love God with all of our heart. The commandments also state that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. We should also love our parents and children.
The Hindu religion has a number of different ways to define love. The Narada Bhakti Sutras identify eleven forms of love. They include: * ludus, which is childlike love and is usually found in young couples; * playful love, which is found in the honeymoon stage; * bhakti, which is devotion; * pragma, which is everlasting love; and * dharma, which is the steadfast loyalty to a cause.