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What Is Love?
A Feeling or a Necessity?
In Greek mythology there were three sexes. Males were direct descendents of the sun, females of the earth, and the third sex which shared both male and female characteristics were descendents of the moon. All three had strength and vigor until one day when they confronted the gods. Zeus was unhappy with their rebellion and divided them each in half to make them weak. Once they had been divided in two, each missed their other half. They reunited with them, embraced each other, walked arm in arm and desired to be whole again. That is how love was born.
The topic of love is a complicated one in this day and age. There are many different theories about what it means, what it should be, and what it represents for everyone. What makes it complicated is that love is not only about one individual. It is about every living thing, human or other, in that individual’s world that can generate a loving relationship (a sexual partner, family member, best friend, childhood pet, etc).Theories on love have originated from religious leaders, philosophists, psychologists and even biologists. Some of these affirm that love is a combination of unconditional behaviors and attitudes, who according to monotheists, is supported by God.
For those who believe more in science, love is not a feeling or sentiment like happiness or hatred. They believe it is more like a necessity, much like hunger, which brings us back to it’s original definition; a human need.
Could love be the survival of the fittest? I’m not sure, but in reality, love is something that we cannot deny or be without. Someone who has not found a partner or “their other half” could say to me that they haven’t found love yet, but they’re mistaken. There are many types of love, not just the romantic kind. There is the love you share with your family, brotherly love, platonic or abstract love, among others.
Ps. Martin Alvarez / Terra USA
