What is Love?
Jacob Calkins
Definition
• strong affection for another arising out of
kinship or personal ties (2) : attraction based
on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt
by lovers (3) : affection based on
admiration, benevolence, or common
interests
So What Does That Mean
• In the dictionary they make love out to be
such a simple thing, but is it? Everyone has
found a time in their lives where they find
themselves in love with someone or
something. So does this simple definition
really catch the true meaning of what love
really is? For some it probably could, for
others it is much more complicated than that.
Why Talk About Love?
• Love is one of those things that is
different for everyone. Everyone has their
own tastes in people and also have their
own expectations. Our lives have
followed the same pattern for
generations. We are born into this world,
we grow and mature, we find love, we
grow old and we die. Why is love so
important though? Love is something we
all need in our lives in order to feel
happiness. It does not have to be towards
a certain person but could even be an
activity such as football or working out.
Whatever it may be, we hold on to that
love and run to it when we need help.
Love and Deception
• The media is fascinated with this idea
of portraying the perfect love
scenario. It can be seen in movies,
books, and even television shows,
that love can be perfect. The more
that love becomes a prominent topic
in the media the more it makes it
seem that we will never find “true
love”.
• Sex also plays a big role in this illusive
idea of love. Because sex has
become such a sociably acceptable
thing, the human race is losing touch
on “making love” with people that
you are interested in.
Love At First Sight
• If love is so hard to find because we
have this idea of a perfect
relationship, is it possible to find love
at first sight? It depends on who you
ask. Some people might say no,
others can give instances where they
knew that someone was the right
person as soon as they saw them. In
fact 11% of 493 people that were
surveyed by Ayala Malach-Pines from
the University of Israel said that they
found love at first sight.
• Love at first sight could logically
happen because within the first few
seconds of seeing someone you will
judge them on their looks,
appearance and charisma.
When You Find Love What
Can
It
Do
• It all depends on who you
•
are and what you expect
from love. For some it
might be the feeling of
security or a way to vent
feelings. Others it can be a
way to heal the body and
mind of all evils by
overwhelming themselves
with the feeling of love.
“He felt his limbs growing
fuller and flexible with life,
his body gained an unknown
strength. He was a man
again, strong and rounded.
And he was a child, so
soothed and restored and
full of gratitude. And she,
she was the great bath of
life, he worshipped her.”
Do You Feel Lost Without Love
• You may not feel lost without love, but there is
definitely that desire to have someone or
something in your life. Without something to
run to for some sort of salvation, people find
themselves not in depression but feel like they
are missing out on something.
• A song that represents the lost feeling after
you lose love is Believe by Cher
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uu3kCEEc98
What Attracts You To Someone
• It is easy to tell if you are attracted to
someone as soon as you meet them.
Ever heard of tall, dark and
handsome? Your judgment of
someone is within the first minutes
you see them. But what makes you
fall in love with someone? There
personality is what really captivates
you. If someone has the same ideas
as you and also talks the same as you,
you are more likely to be attracted to
them.
Everyone Is Different
• Everyone has their own idea of love.
Some people like members of the same
gender, but does that make them weird
or wrong? No of course not, that is why
love is such a beautiful thing. There is no
right or wrong answer to love, it is just
what makes you happy.
• So why do we judge people so heavily on
their relationships? Ignorance and Envy.
People are close minded to the different
views of people and think that their
opinion is the only one that matters. Also
they actually envy the fact that people
are happy with their partners when they
are either not in a relationship or
currently struggling with one.
Personal Opinion
•
Love is a difficult thing to grasp especially because there are so many people in the
world and so many opportunities to find new people. I feel as though I have found
true love before so I know what it feels like to have someone or something that I
would do anything for. I fell in love with two things, the sport of football and my
high school sweetheart. Football was an easy way for me to vent all my hostility
and anger out while still having fun. I would do anything to be out on the field and
play with my teammates. At the same time finding my love in the sport of football
I found my high school sweetheart. I genuinely loved this girl and would do
anything for her. Day in and day out we would talk about anything that came to
mind. She was my best friend but my lover at the same time. Yes we got intimate
with each other but that was not what it was all about. For me it was having that
person that I could go to and no have to worry about being judged. I could tell her
how I felt about anything and she was there with an open mind and an open
heart. Sadly it ended and of course I was heartbroken. Although I was
heartbroken not once did I think that I could never find another person that would
make me feel the way she did. Love will always make its way back to you, you just
have to be willing and able to accept it.
Personal Interviews
Bibliography
• Featherstone, Mike. "The Lost Innocence of Love." Love
and Eroticism. London: Sage, 1999. 161-63. Print.
• Fisher, Helen. "Love at First Sight - Helen Fisher Love
Column - Oprah.com." Oprah.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Apr. 2013. <http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Loveat-First-Sight-Helen-Fisher-Love-Column>.
• Lawrence, D. H. "Death and Love." Women in Love.
New York: Modern Library, 1950. N. pag. Print.
• May, Rollo. Love and Will. New York: Norton, 1969.
Print.
• Merriam-Webster. The Merriam Webster
Dictionary. Merriam Webster.: n.p., n.d. Print