Love is a topic that has fascinated philosophers, scientists, poets, and writers for generations. While the concept of love can be hard to pin down, many agree that it is an innate feeling characterized by strong feelings of affection, loyalty, protectiveness, and respect. This is a complex emotion that can be felt for people, animals, places, or principles. While romantic love is probably the most common form of love, it is also found in other forms such as friendship and familial love.
Biological models of love describe it as a mammalian drive, similar to the ones that keep us fed and watered. Research has shown that the primitive neural systems involved in drive and reward recognition are activated in almost everyone when they look at their beloved and think loving thoughts. These systems are associated with the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin that help to create emotional bonding in long-term relationships.
While some scientists and researchers argue that love isn’t an emotion at all, most accept that it has a powerful impact on our lives and is difficult to define. The way that we love and the ways that we are loved by others varies greatly from person to person, from culture to culture, and may even change over time.
If you are writing an essay on the subject of love, consider avoiding the temptation to be too sappy or overly positive. Instead, include some of the more mundane and realistic aspects of your love, like how your S.O’s habit of checking Instagram at lunch drives you insane, or how your partner’s tendency to ignore you when they are distracted by their smartphone can frustrate you.