All You Need Is Love

Love is all you need

The word “love” can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. Many other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that in English are denoted as “love”; one example is the plurality of ancient Greek words for love. which includes agape and eros. Cultural differences in conceptualizing love thus doubly impede the establishment of a universal definition.

Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn’t love (antonyms of “love”). Love as a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like) is commonly contrasted with hate(or neutral apathy). As a less-sexual and more-emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with emotionally intimate lust. As an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is sometimes contrasted with friendship, although the word love is often applied to close friendships or platonic love. (Further possible ambiguities come with usages “girlfriend”, “boyfriend”, “just good friends”).

Love is probably the most profound of our emotional states. Scientific research on emotion has increased significantly over the past two decades. Love has deep religious and spiritual meaning. This diversity of uses and meanings combined with the complexity of the feelings involved makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states.