Love

We all say "I love you" to one another at some point, often on a daily basis, but what do we mean when we say this? Is it an action? A feeling? Is there a set standard to abide by, and if so, how is it defined? These are among the most frequently asked questions involving love, but sadly, none of them are easy to answer. The problem doesn't stem from the fact that people are uninterested in the subject. On the contrary, there are countless sources available to the public that provide definitions. So then what is the problem? These definitions contradict each other.

In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor who crafted a statue of a woman that was so realistic and perfect that he fell in love with it. This representation of love is something of a physical desire. From the bible, love has a more divine meaning, where God is love, and seems to be represented by the intent of gifting to others, such as God's promise of immortality. These are classic depictions of love, but today, there are numerous definitions found around the world and with media outlets like the internet, this can seem very daunting. So rather than try and point out which theory is correct, I will instead confuse you further by adding my own opinion onto the mess about what love is.

Religious love, friendship, familial love, romantic love, they're all the same thing. Love is an axis measured by the level of attraction to another person. This ranges from negative values (hate) to positive values (like). Plain and simple, as depicted by this nifty illustration here:

However, what isn't simple is determining what factors contribute to changes in level on this axis because they're defined differently for each individual. For example, some may separate sex from love, some may include it, and others base love entirely upon it. It's all personal preference. Of course, sex is ambiguously used here to refer to a broader range of things, from physical attraction to that favorite sex position of yours. Factors are different depending on the situation of the loved one as well. If you felt love towards your family, it wouldn't be because they were physically attractive... usually.

Another thing to note here is that in addition to there being varying factors responsible for changing the level of love, there are also varying effects taken due to this level. This is basically how you would express your love. Again, this is all personal preference and largely dependent on the situation of the loved one. Obviously, you wouldn't want to fuck your family but you may rank "Let's fuck" alongside "I'd do anything for you", or you may swap the polar opposites of the axis itself if you so desired (you sick fuck). 

Causes and effects of love are a subject for another time,