Love

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The word love has many different meanings in English, from something that gives a
little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something one would die for (patriotism,
pair bonding). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion or an
emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love.
Probably due to its psychological relevance, love is one of the most common themes
in art and music.

Just as there are many types of lovers, there are many kinds of love. Love is
inherent in all human cultures. It is precisely these cultural differences that
make any universal definition of love difficult to establish. See the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis. One definition attempting to be universally applicable is Thomas Jay
Oord's: to love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others
(including God), to promote overall well-being. This definition applies to the
positive connotations of love.

Expressions of love may include the love for a "soul" or mind, the love of laws
and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money,
love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others,
etcetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of
love they receive. According to philosophers, the only goal of life is to be
happy. And there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. Love is
essentially an abstract concept, much easier to experience than to explain.

Interpersonal love
Emotions
Basic

Anger
Fear
Sadness
Happiness
Disgust
Surprise
Others

Acceptance
Affection
Aggression
Ambivalence
Apathy

Anxiety
Boredom
Compassion
Confusion
Contempt
Depression
Doubt
Ecstasy
Empathy
Envy
Embarrassment
Euphoria
Forgiveness
Frustration
Gratitude
Grief
Guilt
Hatred
Hope
Horror
Hostility
Homesickness
Hungry
Hysteria
Loneliness
Love
Paranoia
Pity
Pleasure
Pride
Rage
Regret
Remorse
Shame
Suffering
Sympathy

Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent

sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those
feelings of love which are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely
associated with interpersonal relationships. Such love might exist between family
members, friends, and couples. There are also a number of psychological disorders
related to love, such as erotomania.

Some feelings that are often associated with interpersonal love:

* Affection: feelings of tenderness and/or wanting physical closeness

* Attachment: satisfying basic emotional needs
* Altruism: selfless or unselfish concern for another
* Reciprocation: if love is mutual
* Commitment: a desire to maintain love
* Emotional intimacy: sharing emotions and feelings
* Friendship: the spirit between friends
* Kinship: family bonds
* Passion: whole-hearted desire
* Physical intimacy: sharing of intimate personal space
* Self-interest: desiring rewards
* Service: desire to help

Sexuality can be an important element in determining the shape of a relationship.

While sexual attraction often establishes a new bond, sexual intention is
considered undesirable or inappropriate in certain love bonds. In many religions
and systems of ethics it is considered wrong to act on sexual desire for immediate
family, for children, or outside of a committed relationship. However, there are
many ways to express passionate love without sex. Affection, emotional intimacy
and shared interests and experiences are common in friendships and kinships of all
human beings.

Impersonal love

A person can be said to love a country, principle, or goal if they value it

greatly and are deeply committed to it. Similarly, compassionate outreach and
volunteer workers' 'love' of their cause may be borne not of interpersonal love,
but impersonal love coupled with altruism and strong political convictions. People
can also 'love' material objects, animals, or activities if they invest themselves
in bonding their identity with that item. In these cases, if sexual passion is
actually felt, is called paraphilia.[1]

Scientific views

Main article: Love (scientific views)

Throughout history, philosophy and religion have done the most speculation on the
phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a
great deal on the subject. In recent years, the sciences of evolutionary
psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have
added to the understanding of the nature and function of love.

Chemistry of love

Biological models of sex tend to view love as a mammalian drive, much like hunger
or thirst.[2] Helen Fisher, a leading expert in the topic of love, divides the
experience of love into three partly-overlapping stages: lust, attraction, and
attachment. Lust exposes people to others, romantic attraction encourages people
to focus their energy on mating, and attachment involves tolerating the spouse
long enough to rear a child into infancy.

Lust is the initial passionate sexual desire that promotes mating, and involves
the increased release of chemicals such as testosterone and estrogen. These
effects rarely last more than a few weeks or months. Attraction is the more
individualized and romantic desire for a specific candidate for mating, which
develops out of lust as commitment to an individual mate forms. Recent studies in
neuroscience have indicated that as people fall in love, the brain consistently
releases a certain set of chemicals, including pheromones, dopamine,
norepinephrine, and serotonin, which act similar to amphetamines, stimulating the
brain's pleasure center and leading to side-effects such as an increased heart
rate, loss of appetite and sleep, and an intense feeling of excitement. Research
has indicated that this stage generally lasts from one and a half to three
years.[3]

Since the lust and attraction stages are both considered temporary, a third stage
is needed to account for long-term relationships. Attachment is the bonding which
promotes relationships that last for many years, and even decades. Attachment is
generally based on commitments such as marriage and children, or on mutual
friendship based on things like shared interests. It has been linked to higher
levels of the chemicals oxytocin and vasopressin than short-term relationships
have.[3]

In 2005, Italian scientists at Pavia University found that a protein molecule

known as the nerve growth factor (NGF) has high levels when people first fall in
love, but these levels return to as they were after one year. Specifically, four
neurotrophin levels, i.e. NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4, of 58 subjects who had
recently fallen in love were compared with levels in a control group who were
either single or already engaged in a long-term relationship. The results showed
that NGF levels were significantly higher in the subjects in love than as compared
to either of the control groups.[4]

Psychology of love
 Further information: Human bonding

Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Psychologist Robert

Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love and argued that love has three
different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form by
which two people can share secrets and various details of their personal lives.
Intimacy is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on
the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is going to last forever.
The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate
love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love.

Following developments in electrical theories, such as Coulomb's law, which showed

that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in human life were developed,
such as "opposites attract". Over the last century, research on the nature of
human mating has generally found this not to be true when it comes to character
and personality; people tend to like people like themselves. However, in a few
unusual and specific domains, such as immune systems, it seems that humans prefer
others who are unlike themselves (e.g. with an orthogonal immune system), since
this will lead to a baby which has the best of both worlds.[5] In recent years,
various human bonding theories have been developed described in terms of
attachments, ties, bonds, and affinities.

Some Western authorities disaggregate into two main components, the altruistic and
the narcissistic. This view is represented in the works of Scott Peck, whose works
in the field of applied psychology explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck
maintains that love is a combination of the "concern for the spiritual growth of
another", and simple narcissism.[6] In combination, love is an activity, not
simply a feeling.

Scientific models

Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, just like hunger or
thirst. Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There
are probably elements of truth in both views — certainly love is influenced by
hormones (such as oxytocin) and pheromones, and how people think and behave in
love is influenced by their conceptions of love.

Attraction and attachment

The conventional view in biology is that there are two major drives in love —
sexual attraction and attachment. Attachment between adults is presumed to work on
the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to its mother.

Companionate vs. passionate

The traditional psychological view sees love as being a combination of

companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, and is
often accompanied by physiological arousal (shortness of breath, rapid heart
rate). Companionate love is affection and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by
physiological arousal.

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Main article: triangular theory of love

In the triangular theory of love, love is characterized by three elements:

intimacy, passion and commitment. Each of these elements can be present in a
relationship, producing the following combinations:
 * Liking or friendship (intimacy)
* Infatuation or limerence (passion)
* Empty love (commitment)
* Romantic love (intimacy+passion)
* Companionate love (intimacy+commitment)
* Fatuous love (passion+commitment)
* Consummate love (intimacy+passion+commitment)

Love styles

Susan Hendrick and Clyde Hendrick developed a Loves Attitude Scale based on John
Alan Lee's theory called Love styles. Lee identified six basic theories that
people use in their interpersonal relationships:

* Eros (love) — a passionate physical love based on physical appearance

* Ludus — love is played as a game; love is playful
* Storge — an affectionate love that slowly develops, based on similarity
* Pragma — pragmatic love
* Mania — highly emotional love; unstable; the stereotype of romantic love
* Agape — selfless altruistic love; spiritual

Hendrick and Hendrick found men tend to be more ludic and manic, whereas women
tend to be storgic and pragmatic. Relationships based on similar love styles were
found to last longer.

Love vs. Insanity?

Studies have shown that mental scans of those in love show a striking resemblance
to those with a mental illness. Love creates activity in the same area of the
brain that hunger, thirst, and drug cravings create activity in. New love,
therefore, could possibly be more physical than emotional (though drawing a clear
line between physical and emotional is difficult when discussing the brain).

Over time, this reaction to love mellows, and different areas of the brain are
activated, primarily ones involving long-term commitments.

Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist, suggests that this reaction to love is so

similar to that of drugs because without love, humanity would die out.

William Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night's Dream that, "The lunatic, the
lover, and the poet/ Are of imagination all compact."

Cultural views

Chinese

In contemporary Chinese language and culture, several terms or root words are used
for the concept of "love":

* Ai (愛) is used as a verb (e.g. Wo ai ni, "I love you") or as a noun,

especially in aiqing (愛情), "love" or "romance." In mainland China since 1949,

airen (愛人, originally "lover," or more literally, "love person") is the dominant
word for "spouse" (with separate terms for "wife" and "husband" originally being
de-emphasized); the word once had a negative connotation, which it retains among
many on Taiwan.
 * Lian (戀) is not generally used alone, but instead as part of such terms as

"being in love" (談戀愛, tan lian'ai—also containing ai), "lover" (戀人, lianren) or

"homosexuality" (同性戀, tongxinglian).

* Qing (情), commonly meaning "feeling" or "emotion," often indicates "love" in

several terms. It is contained in the word aiqing (愛情); qingren (情人) is a term
for "lover".

In Confucianism, lian is a virtuous benevolent love. Lian should be pursued by all

human beings, and reflects a moral life. The Chinese philosopher Mozi developed
the concept of ai (愛) in reaction to Confucian lian. Ai, in Mohism, is universal
love towards all beings, not just towards friends or family, without regard to
reciprocation. Extravagance and offensive war are inimical to ai. Although Mozi's
thought was influential, the Confucian lian is how most Chinese conceive of love.

Gănqíng (感情), the feeling of a relationship. A person will express love by

building good gănqíng, accomplished through helping or working for another.
Emotional attachment toward another person or anything.

Yuanfen (緣份) is a connection of bound destinies. A meaningful relationship is

often conceived of as dependent strong yuanfen. It is very similar to serendipity.
A similar conceptualization in English is, "They were made for each other,"
"fate," or "destiny".

Zaolian (Simplified: 早恋, Traditional: 早戀, pinyin: zǎoliàn), literally, "early

love," is a contemporary term in frequent use for romantic feelings or attachments
among children or adolescents. Zaolian describes both relationships among a
teenaged boyfriend and girlfriend, as well as the "crushes" of early adolescence
or childhood. The concept essentially indicates a prevalent belief in contemporary
Chinese culture that due to the demands of their studies (especially true in the
highly competitive educational system of China), youth should not form romantic
attachments lest their jeopardize their chances for success in the future. Reports
have appeared in Chinese newspapers and other media detailing the prevalence of
the phenomenon and its perceived dangers to students and the fears of parents.

Japanese

In Japanese Buddhism, ai (愛) is passionate caring love, and a fundamental desire.

It can develop towards either selfishness or selflessness and enlightenment.

Amae (甘え), a Japanese word meaning "indulgent dependence", is part of the child-
rearing culture of Japan. Japanese mothers are expected to hug and indulge their
children, and children are expected to reward their mothers by clinging and
serving. Some sociologists have suggested that Japanese social interactions in
later life are modeled on the mother-child amae.

Ancient Greek

Greek distinguishes several different senses in which the word love is used. For
example, ancient Greek has the words philia, eros, agape, storge and xenia.
However, with Greek as with many other languages, it has been historically
difficult to separate the meanings of these words totally. At the same time the
ancient Greek text of the Bible has examples of the verb agapo being used with the
same meaning as phileo.

Agape (ἀγάπη agápē) means love in modern day Greek. The term s'agapo means I love
you in Greek. The word agapo is the verb I love. It generally refers to a "pure",
ideal type of love rather than the physical attraction suggested by eros. However,
there are some examples of agape used to mean the same as eros. It has also been
translated as "love of the soul".

Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Greek
word erota means in love. Plato refined his own definition. Although eros is
initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the
beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Eros
helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of
spiritual truth. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth by eros.
Some translations list it as "love of the body".

Philia (φιλία philía), a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by

Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires
virtue, equality and familiarity. Philia is motivated by practical reasons; one or
both of the parties benefit from the relationship. Can also mean "love of the
mind".

Storge (στοργή storgē) is natural affection, like that felt by parents for
offspring.

Xenia (ξενία xenía), hospitality, was an extremely important practice in ancient

Greece. It was an almost ritualized friendship formed between a host and their
guest, who could previously be strangers. The host fed and provided quarters for
the guest, who was only expected to repay with gratitude. The importance of this
can be seen throughout Greek mythology, in particular Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.

Ancient Roman (Latin)

The Latin language has several different verbs corresponding to the English word
'love'.

Amare is the basic word for to love, as it still is in Italian today. The Romans
used it both in an affectionate sense, as well as in a romantic or sexual sense.
From this verb come amans, a lover, amator, 'professional lover', often with the
accessory notion of lechery, and amica, 'girlfriend' in the English sense, often
as well being applied euphemistically to a prostitute. The corresponding noun is
amor, which is also used in the plural form to indicate 'love affairs' or 'sexual
adventures'. This same root also produces amicus, 'friend', and amicitia,
'friendship' (often based on mutual advantage, and corresponding sometimes more
closely to 'indebtedness' or 'influence'). Cicero wrote a treatise called On
Friendship (de Amicitia) which discusses the notion at some length. Ovid wrote a
guide to dating called Ars Amatoria (The Art of Lovers), which addresses in depth
everything from extramarital affairs to overprotective parents.

Complicating the picture somewhat, Latin sometimes uses amare where English would
simply say to like; this notion, however, is much more generally expressed in
Latin by placere or delectare, which are used more colloquially, and the latter of
which is used frequently in the love poetry of Catullus.
Diligere often has the notion 'to be affectionate for', 'to esteem', and rarely if
ever is used of romantic love. This word would be appropriate to describe the
friendship of two men. The corresponding noun diligentia, however, has the meaning
'diligence' 'carefulness' and has little semantic overlap with the verb.

Observare is a synonym for 'diligere'; despite the cognate with English, this verb
and its corresponding noun 'observantia' often denote 'esteem' or 'affection'.

Caritas is used in Latin translations of the Christian Bible to mean 'charitable

love'. This meaning, however, is not found in Classical pagan Roman literature. As
it arises from a conflation with a Greek word, there is no corresponding verb.

Religious views

Christian

The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and
woman, eros in Greek, and the unselfish love of others, agape, are often
contrasted as 'ascending' and 'descending' love, respectively, but are ultimately
the same thing. [7]

There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian
circles.

* Agape - In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and

unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is
the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that
Christians aspire to have for one another.
* Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to
something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love".
* Two other words for love in the Greek language -- Eros (sexual love) and
storge (needy child-to-parent love) were never used in the New Testament.

Christians believe that to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and
Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the
greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus - c.f. Gospel of Mark
chapter 12, verses 28-34). Saint Augustine summarized this when he wrote "Love
God, and do as thou wilt".

Saint Paul glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in
the famous poem in 1 Corinthians he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does
not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-
seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)

Saint John wrote "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does
not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

Saint Augustine says that one must be able to decipher the difference between love
and lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine is an over indulgence, but to love
and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even says, “I was in
love with love.” Finally, he does fall in love and is loved back, by God. Saint
Augustine says the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love
with a human only allows for flaws such as, “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and
contention.” According to Saint Augustine to love God is “to attain the peace
which is yours.” (Saint Augustine Confessions)
John the Apostle wrote, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but the save the world
through him." (NIV John 3:16-18)

Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans
and their own loving relationships.

C.S. Lewis , influential Christian theologian wrote a book called The Four Loves.

Buddhist

In Buddhism, Kāma is sensuous, sexual love. It is an obstacle on the path to

enlightenment, since it is selfish.

Karuṇā is compassion and mercy, which reduces the suffering of others. It is

complementary to wisdom, and is necessary for enlightenment.

Adveṣa and maitrī are benevolent love. This love is unconditional and requires
considerable self-acceptance. This is quite different from the ordinary love,
which is usually about attachment and sex, which rarely occur without self-
interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to detachment and unselfish interest in
others' welfare.

The Bodhisattva ideal in Tibetan Buddhism involves the complete renunciation of

oneself in order to take on the burden of a suffering world. The strongest
motivation one has in order to take the path of the Bodhisattva is the idea of
salvation within unselfish love for others.

Hindu

In Hinduism kāma is pleasurable, sexual love, personified by the god Kama. For
many Hindu schools it is the third end in life (artha).

In contrast to kāma, prema or prem refers to elevated love. However, the term
bhakti is used to mean the higher, divine love.

Karuna is compassion and mercy, which reduces the suffering of others.

Bhakti is a Sanskrit term from Hinduism meaning 'loving devotion to the supreme
God'. A person who practices bhakti is called bhakta. Hindu writers, theologians,
and philosophers have distinguished nine forms of devotion that they call bhakti,
for example in the Bhagavatha-Purana and according to Tulsidas. The philosophical
work Narada Bhakti Sutras written by an unknown author (presumed to be Narada)
distinguishes eleven forms of love.

Islamic

In a sense, love does encompass the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood
which applies to all who hold the faith. There are no direct references stating
that God is love, but amongst the 99 names of God (Allah), there is the name Al-
Wadud or 'the Loving One', which is found in Surah 11:90 as well as Surah 85:14.
It refers to God as being "full of loving kindness". In Islam, love is more often
than not used as an incentive for sinners to aspire to be as worthy of God's love
as they may. One still has God's love, but how the person evaluates his own worth
is to his own and God's own counsel. All who hold the faith have God's love, but
to what degree or effort he has pleased God depends on the individual itself.
Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism. Sufis believe that love is a
projection of the essence of God to the universe. God desires to recognize beauty,
and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God "looks" at itself within the
dynamics of nature. Since everything is a reflection of God, the school of Sufism
practices to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly. Sufism is often referred
to as the religion of Love. God in Sufism is referred to in three main terms which
are the Lover, Loved, and Beloved with the last of these terms being often seen in
Sufi poetry. A common viewpoint of Sufism is that through Love humankind can get
back to its inherent purity and grace. The saints of Sufism are infamous for being
"drunk" due to their Love of God hence the constant reference to wine in Sufi
poetry and music.

Jewish

In Hebrew Ahava is the most commonly-used term for both interpersonal love and
love of God. Other related but dissimilar terms are Chen (grace) and Hesed, which
basically combines the meaning of "affection" and "compassion" and is sometimes
rendered in English as "loving-kindness".

Judaism employs a wide definition of love, both between people and between man and
the Deity. As for the former, the Torah states: "Love your neighbor like yourself"
(Leviticus 19:18). As for the latter, one is commanded to love God "with all your
heart, with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5), taken by the
Mishnah (a central text of the Jewish oral law) to refer to good deeds,
willingness to sacrifice one's life rather than commit certain serious
transgressions, willingness to sacrifice all one's possessions and being grateful
to the Lord despite adversity (tractate Berachoth 9:5). Rabbinic literature
differs how this love can be developed, e.g. by contemplating Divine deeds or
witnessing the marvels of nature.

As for love between marital partners, this is deemed an essential ingredient to

life: "See life with the wife you love" (Ecclesiastes 9:9). The Biblical book Song
of Songs is considered a romantically-phrased metaphor of love between God and his
people, but in its plain reading reads like a love song.

The 20th century Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler is frequently quoted as defining
love from the Jewish point-of-view as "giving without expecting to take" (from his
Michtav me-Eliyahu, vol. 1). Romantic love per se has few echoes in Jewish
literature, although the Medieval Rabbi Judah Halevi wrote romantic poetry in
Arabic in his younger years (he appears to have regretted this later).

Mythological

Different cultures have deified love, typically in both male and female form. Here
is a list of the gods and goddesses of love in different mythologies.

* Green Tara; identifies with maternal love and compassion in Buddhism

* Shri Devi; a wrathful image that identifies with maternal love and
compassion in Buddhism. Represents the condition of a mother's inner feelings as
she sees her child in suffering and in delusion that leads to the suffering
* Áine; goddess of fertility and passionate love in Irish mythology
* Amor or Cupid — god of passionate love in Roman mythology
* Aonghus or Aengus; god of beauty, youth, and sensual love in Irish mythology
* Aphrodite — goddess of beauty and passionate love in Greek mythology
* Eros — god of passionate love in Greek mythology
* Freya — goddess in Norse mythology
* Kama — god of sensual love in Hindu mythology
 * Rati — goddess of passionate love in Hindu mythology
* Radha — goddess of ideal divine love in Hindu mythology
* Lakshmi — goddess of love and fortune in Hindu mythology
* Venus — goddess of beauty and passionate love in Roman mythology
* Xochipilli — god in Aztec mythology

See also

Human love

* Affectional orientation
* Courtly love
* Emotion
* Greek words for love
* Historical pederastic couples
* Limerence — the "in love" state
* Crush
* Puppy love
* Love-Hate relationships
* Love-shyness
* Personal relationship
* Erich Fromm's view of human love
* Love letter
* Love sickness
* Love triangle
* Platonic love

Other types of love (philias)

* List of philias — list of words with philia or phile suffix

Mythological

Different cultures have deified love, typically in both male and female form. Here
is a list of the gods and goddesses of love in different mythologies.

* Green Tara; identifies with maternal love and compassion in Buddhism

* Shri Devi; a wrathful image that identifies with maternal love and
compassion in Buddhism. Represents the condition of a mother's inner feelings as
she sees her child in suffering and in delusion that leads to the suffering
* Áine; goddess of fertility and passionate love in Irish mythology
* Amor or Cupid — god of passionate love in Roman mythology
* Aonghus or Aengus; god of beauty, youth, and sensual love in Irish mythology
* Aphrodite — goddess of beauty and passionate love in Greek mythology
* Eros — god of passionate love in Greek mythology
* Freya — goddess in Norse mythology
* Kama — god of sensual love in Hindu mythology
* Rati — goddess of passionate love in Hindu mythology
* Radha — goddess of ideal divine love in Hindu mythology
* Lakshmi — goddess of love and fortune in Hindu mythology
* Venus — goddess of beauty and passionate love in Roman mythology
* Xochipilli — god in Aztec mythology

See also

Human love

* Affectional orientation
 * Courtly love
* Emotion
* Greek words for love
* Historical pederastic couples
* Limerence — the "in love" state
* Crush
* Puppy love
* Love-Hate relationships
* Love-shyness
* Personal relationship
* Erich Fromm's view of human love
* Love letter
* Love sickness
* Love triangle
* Platonic love

Other types of love (philias)

* List of philias — list of words with philia or phile suffix

References

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Random House. ISBN 0-375-70922-3.
3. ^ a b Winston, Robert (2004). Human. Smithsonian Institution.
4. ^ Emanuele, E. Polliti, P, Bianchi, M. Minoretti, P. Bertona, M., & Geroldi,
D. (2005). “Raised plasma nerve growth factor levels associated with early-stage
romantic love.” Abstract. Psychoneuroendocrinology, Nov. 09.
5. ^ Berscheid, Ellen; Walster, Elaine, H. (1969). Interpersonal Attraction.
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6. ^ Peck, Scott (1978). The Road Less Traveled. Simon & Schuster, 169. ISBN 0-
671-25067-1.
7. ^ Pope Benedict XVI, papal encyclical, Deus Caritas Est.

* R. J. Sternberg. A triangular theory of love. 1986. Psychological Review,

93, 119–135
* R. J. Sternberg. Liking versus loving: A comparative evaluation of theories.
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* Dorothy Tennov. Love and Limerence: the Experience of Being in Love. New
York: Stein and Day, 1979. ISBN 0812861345
* Helen Fisher. Why We Love: the Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love
* Henry Chadwick and Edzrin. "Saint Augustine Confessions". Oxford University
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* Wood, Wood and Boyd. The World of Psychology. 5th edition. 2005. Pearson
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External links