What is the source of love?

I have been thinking lately about different feelings and the source from which they come. Over time I have learned that the best feeling in the world, which I have experienced, is love. To me the other feelings pale in comparison.

I do not like anger, for during its stay in me I only speak hate.

I do not like sad. This one seems to take away my feeling called hope.

I do like happy. That one fosters my ability to show kindness, mercy, respect, love, and just makes it an all around good day. Finding happiness is another thread.

Out of all of the feelings I can think of, love has to be the best.

I found this and it I think I have found the source of love.

If Only Dreams Came True
To: Brian ~ From: Fire

Dear Brian,

We've been friends for so long. There have been lots of tears and so much laughter between us. I feel closer to you than anyone else. I've listened and hurt every time you fell in love, longing to be the one in your arms. I've been there for you when every one of your relationships fell apart. You listened and cried with me when we found out about the cancer and you stood by my side through all of it. Now is the time to tell you that the waiting is over.

The love you so desperately seek is here in my arms. You've often asked why I'm not interested in any of the men who hit on me when we're all out. I've always told you they weren't the one for me. Now I'm telling you that you are the one for me. You’re the one I dream about. No one can make me laugh like you, even when I'm knee deep in tears. The reason I've been alone for five longs years is this: I've been waiting for you to see the love in my eyes that's only for you. I'll wait forever if that’s how long it takes. I need you. I miss you when you’re gone, and I hurt when you’re sad. I love you, Brian, for everything you are.

Love Always,

Fire


This reminded me of something I use to know. The end of the journey is not the fun part.............its just the end.

With that patience is the source of all love. You can forget a lot of things , but always remember the love you felt when showing patience.


Any other thoughts on your source for love? Please post your thoughts on the matter.

www.lovingyou.com...

So. To all you ATSers out there. Much love and hope and happiness to you.

It is doubtful that love is actually an emotion and is more likely a state of mind. An ideal by which we as humans too often confuse with emotion. Consider the love for ones own child. This child can engender many different emotions, such as joy, anger, fear, dread, guilt, and pride but at all times the ideal of love remains constant. Unless, of course, there is no love for that child to begin with. To truly love that child means to accept everything about that child. Take the good with the bad and love that child still.

The same principle holds for ones mate or parents or siblings. All sorts of emotions can be and will be felt while loving somebody, but if it is truly love then regardless of the emotions a person feels, that love will remain constant. At least as constant as the commitment behind that love is. The confusion of love is no greater than when we mistake our lust or need for companionship with love. Often times we enter into a sexual relationship with a mate that is predicated on a trade; "I'll love you if you love me." This is not love and when one say's to the other; "I love you" what they really mean is "I trade you...I will trade you my need to be emotionally secure with you, for your need to be emotionally secure with me and as long as there remains an even exchange between us we can call this love." But that is not love, it is something else.

We don't barter for love we just do and we love unconditionally or its not love we are experiencing but something else. When we love another person we accept all that comes with loving that person even if it means letting go of that person and acknowledging that they are free to love us or not, to be with us or not, regardless we love them because it is the postulate we have made. There is perhaps, no postulate more powerful than love and once we make such a postulate it is difficult to unmake it.

reply to post by Jean Paul Zodeaux


Well I guess that is the state of mind I want to always be in. Thank you for you information it has provided insight.

This whole topic can get highly philosophical. It's a huge topic...

I heard it said that love isn't what you feel, but what you do. I'm not sure I agree with that exactly, but I think it has a point. Love that is not put into action is without effect. If your actions are not loving, then it doesn't matter to others what you feel inside.

reply to post by chiron613


Well chiron, it's both really. Love that isn't put into action IS love that isn't felt. The significant other doesn't "feel" the love if you don't put it into action. So, in essence, it's both how you feel AND how you act.

reply to post by Jean Paul Zodeaux

It is doubtful that love is actually an emotion and is more likely a state of mind. An ideal by which we as humans too often confuse with emotion. Consider the love for ones own child. This child can engender many different emotions, such as joy, anger, fear, dread, guilt, and pride but at all times the ideal of love remains constant. Unless, of course, there is no love for that child to begin with. To truly love that child means to accept everything about that child. Take the good with the bad and love that child still.

You are referring to love as a state of mind. You could call it that. I think of it as a force. Because an act of love is a powerful thing. You call it an ideal, but as children themselves prove they feel love before they know its called love. So I am inclined to believe that it is more than an ideal. You said to truly love that child, you should have said that the ideal of truly loving that child.

The same principle holds for ones mate or parents or siblings. All sorts of emotions can be and will be felt while loving somebody, but if it is truly love then regardless of the emotions a person feels, that love will remain constant. At least as constant as the commitment behind that love is. The confusion of love is no greater than when we mistake our lust or need for companionship with love. Often times we enter into a sexual relationship with a mate that is predicated on a trade; "I'll love you if you love me." This is not love and when one say's to the other; "I love you" what they really mean is "I trade you...I will trade you my need to be emotionally secure with you, for your need to be emotionally secure with me and as long as there remains an even exchange between us we can call this love." But that is not love, it is something else.

That is how people stay married for 50, 60, 70 years. I know you don't see it much, but its still out there. Just because some people mistakes lust for love, that does not mean they are the same. You are describing everything that love is not. Why don't you believe that most people know this already? Love is based on feelings. So it has to be a feeling. If love was based on our senses, no man or woman would have a life long mate.

We don't barter for love we just do and we love unconditionally or its not love we are experiencing but something else. When we love another person we accept all that comes with loving that person even if it means letting go of that person and acknowledging that they are free to love us or not, to be with us or not, regardless we love them because it is the postulate we have made. There is perhaps, no postulate more powerful than love and once we make such a postulate it is difficult to unmake it.

This proves exactly what I am talking about. Live in that postulate my friend.



[edit on 20-11-2009 by Conclusion]

The source of love?

If you believe in God, then it's God.

If not, then it's simply a biological process which deveolped out of need and which has no deeper meaning than the purpose which it serves.

Whichever you believe really makes no difference.

reply to post by chiron613


That is very true.

Kindness is one of the many weapons of love.

reply to post by Agree2Disagree


You are right. It can be a bridge. hmmm. So it brings people together.

you're the one, OP, with the scientology emblem in your avatar. why dont you give us an ARC rundown? it explains Love perfectly.

(BTW, i am not mocking you. i have a high regard for scientology and dianetics.)

Originally posted by Mr Headshot
The source of love?

If you believe in God, then it's God.

If not, then it's simply a biological process which deveolped out of need and which has no deeper meaning than the purpose which it serves.

Whichever you believe really makes no difference.

If it was developed out of need, then the meaning for it would be very deep. To need something requires a reason to need it.

reply to post by tgidkp


Yeah someone told me that. I didn't know that when I selected it. lol. I just thought it looked nice. Oh well. There is more to me than my avatar. Thx for your input.

Should I allow anothers view to put limits on my thoughts?

[edit on 20-11-2009 by Conclusion]

[edit on 20-11-2009 by Conclusion]

reply to post by Conclusion


Forming familys is a obvious step from tribes, to form a family you find someone you like a lot. Love very well may have been a neruological response to be able to stand someone long enough to have a family and what not.

3 a.m. philosophy is a dreadful thing

reply to post by Mr Headshot



Yeah but its when I do my best thinking. lol.

Isn't it kind of strange though that you can relate all emotions to love and hate? In that way it shows a hierarchy of levels of which could only stem from love and hate coming first.

It is correct to call love an action and as actions go it is a powerful force, but that action is not an emotion. Emotions are base and subsets to forces like love. I have not equated lust with love but have deigned to differentiate between the two. We do not stay with a mate for 40, 50, or 60 years out of lust but do so, many times, out of love. When we love our mate even long after the lust has gone we will do what we can to make that mate happy, even if it means duplicating the lust we no longer feel.

We have control of both our emotions and our states of mind, but when our state of mind is in a place we call LOVE, we are much better suited to control our actions than when we are not in that state of mind. We can be in the state of mind of love and still feel such rage that we may want to hurt that person but because we are in the state of love, we do not hurt them but instead reign in our emotional state to better align it with our state of mind, that being love.

Feelings are fickle and come and go as easily as a breeze will wane on warm summers day. We can feel joy for as long as we feel it but long after it is gone we can remain happy and we do so by choice. We can feel sad and long after that sadness is gone we can remain depressed and we do so by choice. Conversely, we can feel joy even when we have chosen to be depressed and feel sadness even when we have chosen to be happy. Being happy is not predicated on a feeling but is a state of mind we have chosen to live our lives in. The same goes with love. We can love a person and still feel genuine disgust for that person based on their actions.

We postulate love and act on that postulate but it is rare that one of us actually makes the postulate to be disgusted with someone. We don't decide to be disgusted we react to a certain action in the same way we react to a foul odor that would give rise to the same sort of disgust. Disgust is not a state of mind but is a reaction. Love is not reactive but is proactive. As you have said it is a force and a very powerful one well worth utilizing throughout our lives. The choice of love tends to go hand in hand with the choice of happiness.

Good question and interesting thread.... I like these types of convo's/topics a lot. I find that a reasonable deduction can be made from how Love operates and that is a free, conscious (non-manipulated) choice TO love, so therefore, I'd say from consciousness, and as we are products of that consciousness, I'd say that the source (God, the creator) of consciousness is the source of Love..... we are all slivers of the creators total consciousness, choosing to do what we will with the sliver of Love (consciousness) that we've been given. When they say the universe (creation) is infinite, literally, all aspects/situations that can be manifested with current energy (Love) always occuring, ever-growing in their Consciousness. Yet, every time we make a choice, we either choose to radiate/dim the Love/Light of the Source. Obviously, from there, you can stem off into many other inter-related topics but that is the jist of my opinion of what the source of love is.

reply to post by RadiatorOfTheLight


Well yes, God is the source of love. He is the source of all. But what way does he get it to us? Patience.

I'm sorry it's late. S&F

Forgot the first time. I'll be back in the morning to re-evaluate what has been said. Hopefully I'll have some decent input.

Yep. I am still relatively new to this site and unsure of the protocol but I too definitely gave a star and flag for this one. Enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading more. Thanks to you original poster for a fun and thought provoking thread.