what is love?

Love, affection and passion are things that make a person imaginative. As soon as someone steps into the threshold of teenage, the world of dreams starts swimming in front of the eyes. In these dreams, there is a desire to acquire somebody, to like somebody or be devoted to somebody.

Love is a feeling, which exists in all men and women of the world. It is the feeling that generates a desire in the heart.  “I love you” is a short phrase, but it is deeper than the ocean and higher than the sky.

To understand the depth of love, it is essential to understand what love is. Every man and women has different opinion about love. Each defines it according to his or her own family status, environment and capacity.

A well-known philospher has said, “To love is equal to adore God.” Love is the expression of happiness. Love is an actual meaning of life. In other words, without love, one cannot survive. Where there is love, there is continuity, and expansion, and wherever there is selfishness, everything comes to an end.

An English poet days, “Love is always pleasant, whether one gives it or takes it.” According to psychologist Albert Habbard, love is a health tonic that supplies energy. Love brings interest in life. By falling in love, a person becomes polite, tneder, cultured and sensitive, starts behaving like a poet and when the bud of love opens up, even a tyrant is compelled to surrender one’s self to love.

The saying goes, “Love cannot be forced; it happens by itself.” Several people in the world have shown true love by their life example: Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Shirin-Farhad, Laila-Majnu to name a few among many in the pages of history. They made their love immortal. This world, which began with love between Adam and Eve, will continue as long as there is love. When it disappears, it would be the end of the world.

There has benn not so much research on any other subject except love by researchersm psychologists, chemists, and philosphers. One may wonder how many works on literature had been written on love? How many plays have been produced? And how many movies have been produced? But love remains a mystery, even after much research and study.

In the Indian context, love, pasion, and affection are not seen in good light. People disapprove of friendship  and association with the opposite sex. Whatever opinion on love conservative people may have, the young generation is eager, keen and curious about love. They want to get themselves drown in love.

The youth have found a new space through TV, movies, mobiles, media marketing, internet, etc. At the time, they have forgotten the true meaning of “I love you” and have defined “free love” as a pretext to get closer for sex. The X-generation is lost in search of the destination of love. He or she feels the need for more information on love. It has become a necessity to understand the difference between love, friendship and free love.

Defining love as lust is not appropriate. It has to be corrected. Love remains sacred until it is free of sex. Love is lost when sex enters into the scene.

Love is an art. It is a skill. It has to be learnt like any other skill. The truth of the matter cannot be denied., but love needs to be studied.

Everybody must learn to love and how to be loved. According to Catherine Anne Porter, love has to be learnt and learnt many times. There is no end to it. So love, fall in love and be loved.