Human beings are the most intelligent of all the animals on earth. Perhaps that is why man is sometimes referred to as the ‘supreme animal’. Mythology has it that when Eve tasted the forbidden fruit (read ‘the divine apple’) and asked Adam to eat the same fruit, both fell in ‘love’ with each other. This angered the God and they (Adam and Eve) were kicked out from the house of God and sent to earth. Someone has rightly said "when the power of love overcomes the love for power, the world will know peace".

In this world full of hatred and evil, if there is something that is keeping us happy, then it is none other than ‘love’. It is important to answer the question "what is love". The English dictionary defines the verb love as ‘to possess powerful feelings of affection for a friend, relative or any other person’. Sexual attraction is also a form of love. Love is not a singular feeling; it is the essence of different mental states, feelings and emotions.

Emotions (read ‘human emotions’) are so complex that even scientists have not been able to decode their exact nature. Even the cycle of emotions is a little difficult to be explained. Nevertheless, the term ‘emotions’ is so vivid in nature that the English Dictionary has at least a few hundred adjectives to cover different colors of emotions.  It is almost impossible to define the term ‘love’. However, it is very much possible to interpret its meaning you take a closer look at human behavior.

Let us throw light on the different shades of love and human emotion. Have you ever wondered how many times you utter the words ‘I love!’ every single day? A child would demand a toy from his mother by either crying (if he is an infant) or by showing his strong will to have that toy. Even when a child does not know how to speak, he can express his feelings very well. Love is the feeling which leads to a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman. Infidelity is not that uncommon a word today.

Love is perhaps the answer to infidelity. The desire to love and to be loved is the most intense of all desires. In general, the term ‘love’ is often believed to be synonymous to ‘physical contact’ or ‘sexual contact’. This belief is erroneous. Had it been so, there would have been no love between an old man and his old wife. I do not say that sexual acts are something unethical. In fact, sex is also an important aspect of love. The four letter word (read love) is the gist of all religions.

There are many who do not understand the difference between love and lust. When a young man sees a young and attractive woman, he thinks he is in love with her. However, the truth is that for love to develop, one needs to spend time with another person. Sexual attraction does not necessarily give birth to love. If love is not sexual attraction, then what is love? In terms of psychology, love can be considered to be a cognitive phenomenon. Love has three aspects namely commitment, intimacy and passion.

Each of these three aspects is crucial for the success of any relationship. The meaning of love changes with age too. For example, the romantic affair between a 16 year old girl and 17 year old boy is completely different in comparison to the relationship between a couple in their mid thirties. Is love a cultural phenomenon? Medical Science has proved that hormones and pheromones influence the brains of human beings when they think of love and/or sex. What are the different types of love? It would be foolish to categorize love as ‘young love’ and ‘old love’.

In general, love can be spiritual and sexual. Sexual acts reflect the desire of human beings to attain physical (as well as mental) pleasure. Perhaps this is the reason why the term ‘making love’ is used in English. There have been many psychologists who have written a lot about various types of love. Speaking of ‘young love’, a couple can keep the flame of love and passion alive forever. True love is hard to find. Lucky are those who have found true love. Next time you think of love, ask yourself ‘what is love’.