Love is an incredibly complex feeling, a concept that’s difficult to define. It involves an emotional attachment and a deep psychological connection that carries with it feelings of ecstasy, anxiety, despair, and sacrifice. Love is a multifaceted emotion that’s been portrayed throughout history and popular culture, from romantic love to familial and platonic relationships. There are countless theories and perspectives on the nature of love, which makes it a controversial topic for an essay.
A common theory on the origin of love is that it’s a biological response to certain hormones, a chemical cascade that affects the brain’s reward and pleasure circuits. The hormones involved in the onset of love are dopamine and norepinephrine, which cause a feeling of euphoria. This euphoria leads to heightened activity in the areas of the brain that control pleasure, and it’s why your cheeks might flush, your palms sweat, and your heart races when you meet someone you like for the first time. In the next phase of falling in love, dopamine and norepinephrine are replaced by oxytocin, known as the “cuddle hormone.” This is why you might experience that fuzzy feeling when you cuddle with someone special.
Other scientists and philosophers have argued that love is more than just a feeling. In a practical sense, love is about caring for another person and wanting to see them succeed in life. This is often seen in parents or friends staying committed to someone despite destructive behavior, for example.
Many cultures and religions have a similar understanding of the nature of love. For instance, the Chinese character for love (ai) contains a heart in its center. The Chinese word for true love is xin, which also has a heart in its meaning and is described as unconditional and selfless. The Christian concept of love is best summarized by Thomas Aquinas, who explains that love is a desire for the good of another person.
Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle thought that love was a choice, not just a force out of your control. Some people say that you choose to love somebody, whether it’s a romantic partner or a friend, by how much effort you put into a relationship and the ways that you support one another in times of difficulty. You may also choose to cultivate your relationship by focusing on communication, trust, and intimacy.