True Love

[arh]

Seen a lot of people talking about 'Real Love' or 'True Love' in the essence that people are meant to be together, love that lasts forever etc. So I ask... do you believe in it? Why/why not? And please, no long citations from the bible or laboratory reports, keep it short..

[Ne-yo]

Yup I believe in it. :googjob2:

[The Blue Meanie]

I'm a subjectivist when it comes to pretty much anything. A.... cynic, if you will. "True Love" is just another way of saying that everything happens to be working in a relationship. That's why when it DOES turn tits-up, The parties who previously thought it was true love turn around and say "No, I was wrong. I thought it was true love, but it was a lie!" I.e, Question 2, Option 4 on the poll. So no, I don't believe in true love in the objective sense. I don't believe in soulmates either, especially considering that I think the whole idea of a "soul" is absolutely stupid and can be ripped to shreds with Occam's Razor.

[Ne-yo]

I don't believe in soulmates either, especially considering that I think the whole idea of a "soul" is absolutely stupid and can be ripped to shreds with Occam's Razor. [/b] I don't believe in soul mates either because to me that would constitute destiny. I totally agree with you TBM but soul is defined differently I think people misinterprets the word.

[pj]

I thought I knew love when I was first smitten with a lovely young lass as a teen. Then I met my wife, and I thought that was it. Then we had children. Boom. That's "walk into the fire without a second thought" kind of love... and it is impossible to even explain without experiencing it. I would never have believed it if anybody tried to explain it to me.

[Tsen]

I don't believe in soul mates in any definition of the term. I mean, there are people who are better matches for each other, but I think circumstances play a much bigger part in relationships than people like to admit. Basically, I agree with TBM and Ne-yo (Well, other than I don't believe in a soul, unlike Ne-yo, but that's kind of a side point and not the main issue here)

[blade5x]

I don't believe in soul mates in any definition of the term. I mean, there are people who are better matches for each other, but I think circumstances play a much bigger part in relationships than people like to admit. Basically, I agree with TBM and Ne-yo (Well, other than I don't believe in a soul, unlike Ne-yo, but that's kind of a side point and not the main issue here) [/b] Exactly what I was thinking.

[dreammask]

I believe in true love, but I don't think everyone defines it the same way. I also believe in soulmates, but I don't think everyone has them. Why do I believe these things? Well, I'm a hopeless romantic for one thing. But the real reason I'd bet on them existing is because I think my hubby and I are. Yeah yeah, I'm sure everyone feels like that at some point, but the things that've happened with us, the synchronizations of various things, and the undeniable intuition that "I've known this person before," are enough for me to lean more toward the supernatural than to simle coincidence. Don't get me wrong, I'm a total believer in coincidences being nothing more than their name implies, but I don't think that's the case with me and hubby. I could be wrong, but if I am, what difference does it make? Oh, and we definitely have NOT had the "perfect" relationship. Anyone who expects to find a completely perfect relationship is setting themselves up for disappointment. We didn't even think we were perfect in the beginning... but the weird feelings that we knew each other already and that we had finally found what we'd been looking for made it hard to ignore.

[Amethyst Star]

I believe that there is true love. I define it more as an unbreakable connection between people where no matter what the other person does you still treasure them. However, I also believe that for human beings, this kind of love is rare, especially nowadays. It requires trust and forgiveness, values that are no longer high priorities among many people. It's not a love that says, "I'll accept and support whatever (right or wrong) you do," but rather, "I'll be here for you and we'll work through whatever may come."

[Oneironaut Zero]

Yes I believe in true love. I also believe in Soulmates but, though I don't put too much stock into Occam's Razor, I think it's simply because I view "Soulmate" as a metaphorical term. True Love, to me, is when two people value each other enough to willingly and unequivocally A) Limit their trespasses and offenses against the other person as well as B) Understand and except the other's human nature enough to forgive (to a reasonable degree) the trespasses and offenses set upon them, in return. It is when you find yourselves as a pair so captivated by each other that you both make the internal affirmation that "this is a person I would like to have in my life forever." It happens all the time and there are many lifelong (and mutually cherrished) marriages across the globe to prove it. The thing about it is that it has to be MUTUAL. Anything single-sided is a perversion of the term "true love." It is either the desire for the love of the person who is tearing the relationship apart or the willingness to ignore the fact that the "love" isn't returned and to trudge ahead foolishly into something that was never meant to be. A perceived "true love" that ends up being a lie says nothing to suggest the non-existence of "true love." (Yeah, I know, the God vs. No God argument, but hear me out). This is especially true when one considers how many "true loves" they've experienced, that turned out to be lies versus how many possible combinations of person to person relationships can happen, given the vast population of this planet. "There are many other fish in the sea" is the short-hand embodiment of this. Too many people put their full heart and soul into a relationship with someone that they just don't mesh with, even if they don't realize this horrible fact for years. When this happens, they are much quicker to find themselves disillusioned to the concept of "true love." I look at "soulmates" much the same way. It is not only possible, but common for two people to share such a feeling of compatability with each other that they are like the same note on two seperate octaves coming into perfect harmony with each other. Each note is individual - each note, very distinct - but, together, harmonious. Again. Happens all the time. Anyone who's ever had a best friend for years or married their highschool sweetheart (like half a century ago), been through the biggest shit-storms in the lowest levels of Hell and back will tell you the same thing. Human emotions, themselves, are subjective. However, they exist.

[octoberchild]

During your lifetime, there will be people that you love in different degrees. I believe in true love but that doesn't mean that the person you feel true love for feels true love for you. They may have some degree of love but it may not be the ultimate "true love." I think both parties feel the ultimate "true love" at the same time, you are very lucky. Even in marriage, I think if both parties are honest, they don't love each other with the same degree of love. One loves more than the other. In actuality, it is difficult to explain. But if you've ever been in love, you know the person/persons you've loved the most. That is your true love person (or persons). Yes, I believe you can find more than one "true love" during your lifetime. There are just too many people out there for it to happen just once.

[destinyblade]

i believe some people can find true love and other well cant call it fate,destiny or karma or whatever but i think that some of us can find true happiness in a partner, not perfection(agrees with dreammask), but happiness. I think true love is when your realtionship is at its highpoint, every step you take your wondering where the other one is and everything you do put you in a state of Ecstatic enjoyment. like octoberchild says its quite difficult to explain, im not in any kind of realtionship but i have been in love, your special person seems to glow golden and everyone else is invisible i think that would be my definition of true love.

[Neruo]

There is no 'true' love. Would that imply that you will love that person for ever and that person alone? That that isn't going to happen, period. For instance if the person turns out to be a she-male with aids. Also, evolution + true love = no sorry.

[Howie]

I think love is just a label. It is an experience just like hate. The powerfulest of emotions. Like a drug of influence. It can grow or diminish. It can be gone in a blink of an eye an can appear that way too. So I think it does exist. But for some longer than others. And of coarse it can be separated into different types of love, i.e, wife, family self ,dog etc.

[Keeper]

There is no 'true' love. Would that imply that you will love that person for ever and that person alone? That that isn't going to happen, period. For instance if the person turns out to be a she-male with aids. Also, evolution + true love = no sorry. [/b] take evo out, however ...

[Tsen]

Can it, Keeper. We don't want to hear your anti-evolution BS unless you back it up, which you STILL haven't.

[Neruo]

take evo out, however ... [/b] And it still wouldn't work, because both logic reasoning and practice show us that 'true love' is un-existant and useless to survive, evolution or not. If you would love only one person for the rest of your life, what like a close to 50% divorce rate in western countries make hard to believe, would also cause problems in reproducing if the subject of the true love would die / can't have children. Besides, 'true' is relative. To what standards? In some cultures polygamy (lots-o-women) is considered normal. Can those people 'true love' multiple people? Love cannot be measured, so you can't put the label 'true' on it.

[13redfan]

I've experienced true love, I'm in the throes of it now, and will be for the rest of my life with my soul mate. It's not all pretty, it's not all fun, sometimes it's like being double teamed up the bum by two enourmously endowed donkeys (I haven't personally experienced this so I'm just guessing) right after being boiled in salt water for two weeks so that when the donkeys lick you the lick off your skin. Then sometimes its pure bliss. True love is what is left after the love, lust, infatuation period. When u wake up next to someone and think "Fuck me her breath stinks and she looks like an ogre on a bad hair day" and then right after that kiss her and say "Morning sexy, I love u" and totally mean it.

[Neruo]

Tought experiment: What if you fell in love. And you were CERTAIN it was true love. However, years past, you broke up or it never worked out, and then you meet this other girl. You are even MORE in love with her! You just TOUGHT it was true love that first time. At least it is certain that, unlike with the previous love, you just know you can not live a single day without her... Yet you can. Oops. What value has your oppinion if you are under the influence of hormones and substances that alter the way yo think?

[melindak]

I don't think that there is only one person out there for you but I think that people can find their true love and be completly happy with their spouse. I knew when I married my husband I wasn't in love with him but I thought that it could happen years down the road. Hind site...uh, still not in love but at least I can say that I have stronger feelings for him now but even still, that feeling changes from day to day. There are days I'm happy and days I wish I could run away and never marry again. However, I do not know one couple personally that is truly deeply in love and doens't have MANY days of regret or questioning their marriage.

[Poison Apple]

www.howstuffworks.com and search for how love works... 1) Love exists 2) Love is an addiction 3) I am not religious but, it talks about love in the bible and in greek myths and ledgends so... I assume that love exists Do you think that christians are more inclined to love than non christians?

[ExoByte]

I believe in true love. But I think a lot of people confuse it, as seems to be happening here, in my opinion. Does it have to be a love where you and the said people date? Get married? Not at all. Does it include a physical relationship? Not at all. Does it have to be between a male and a female? No. And no I dont mean to imply something about homosexuality. I mean to say, it doesnt have to be between a significant other. Does everyone only have one True Love? I don't think so. True Love is the people you are *willing to die for; Willing to lie for.* Willing to take a bullet, or take the fall for. You'll give your life just so that they can live theirs. Someone you will spend as long as you can with, try to live, even through impossible odds and in hopeless situations, just so that you can see their face. Someone whos always on your mind, no matter the situation. Someone who you just enjoy being with, and not even having to say a word. Just seeing the person is enough. You could visit the person, and just sit there for hours on end with out saying a word and still enjoy yourself. I have experianced it. Me and my 2 closest friends, Billy and Sarah, were born in the same hospital, with only a few days between us. We have seen each other every day, for the past 16 years. They are the two that I would do any of the above for, and I know that they would for me. There is a connection between us like no other, and its just plain amazing. *Quote from House

[Neruo]

www.howstuffworks.com and search for how love works... 1) Love exists 2) Love is an addiction 3) I am not religious but, it talks about love in the bible and in greek myths and ledgends so... I assume that love exists Do you think that christians are more inclined to love than non christians? [/b] Wow yeah, love exist, big surpirse. The point being, that love is only a physological reaction to a member of the opposite sex (sometimes of the same), that causes our brain to make certain substances, much like herion/morfine actually, but that is the substance our boby uses for everything it is wants to stimulate our behaviour. Love isn't any more then that. Monkeys screw a whole lot of monkeys, humans arn't really build to be with a single person for all their life. 'True love' has no evolutionairy purpose. Thus it doesn't really exist, unless you take some nutcases-of-nature out of considiration. If you don't believe in evolution, go read a book.

[Jr_Worley]

Yeah i believe in true love but i have never experienced it.