What is Love?

Love. It is a concept that has plagued centuries of philosophers. For years, people have encountered phenomena that they have tried in vain to explain. It seemed that in addition to the innate survival instinct that everyone understandably possessed, humans were capable of commiting the occasionally random act of irrationality. And none was more guilty than love itself.

Love had the ability to inspire, as Erwin Schrodinger can attest to after writing his most groundbreaking paper following a retreat accompanied by some young lady. Or so the records show. It had the ability to distort time, so that people in love always seemed to live in a much slower-paced world. They no longer just stopped to smell the roses, it became all that they could smell. And of course, love always demanded a sacrifice. Shakespeare wrote of how Romeo would give his life for love. Often, the sacrifices would be far more costly than what the emotion would seem to cost. And yet, it only served as further proof of the claim that love often went contrary to logic.

And this would understandably have been very distressing. Clearly, as its most fundamental, the only difference between love and narcotics was the physical harm that narcotics promised to inflict. But if love was a well-blended mixture of addiction and love; if it made people lose the ability to make sound judgements, surely it could be branded a danger to society? The only exception with love was how it would eventually lead to marriage and thus to birth, a benefit to society. And perhaps, because of this benefit, it has not been ranked amongst the commonly abused drugs.

But still, the need remained for people to attempt to explain this feature of life. For perhaps, with understanding, we could learn to overcome it. And so, in vain did they try. They questioned if love shaped society or if the converse was true. The Beach Boys took it one step further to ask if all we needed was love. Aaron Neville, however, took a simpler stand, admitting to not knowing much except that he was in love. And that may well be the same sentiments that most people around the world share.

For there is something special about unexplained phenomena. It elevates love from the Earth into something that is spiritual -- religious even. And from an anthropological point of view, human beings have always desired something of the spiritual realm. Whether it is morals, money, science, religion or cults, they have always exhibitied a tendency to believe in something that is beyond just mere survival instinct. And perhaps, it is in love that they often find this.

And so, ultimately, what is love? I do not know, but it is a lovely feeling. And that is all that really matters.