It's an emotion that causes behavioural changes, I get that; and I get that it is used in a variety of ways, particularly to describe altruism. Love engenders altruism, but altruism is more commonly the result of empathy and compassion.Love is one of those things that is more than an emotion. Love has a way of bringing out the better part of ourselves. I've read, and believe, that Love effects Human Beings more than any other creatures here on the planet. The first signs that Human Beings were becoming civilized was in their caring for those who were hurt with things like broken legs and such. In the wild broken legs and arms is a death sentence. Caring for others is an act of Love.
I know I get on the Mystic bandwagon, sorry I can't help myself. But for the Mystics, it's through the venue of Love that unity with Source is experienced. William Johnston in "The Inner Eye of Love" put it this way: "The Mystic rides Love like an arrow to the Heart of God."
The Christian Medieval beguine women mystics rode Love in that same sorts of way. These mystics called their experience of mystical love as Lady Love or Minne.
The Sufies have "ishq allah mabud lillah" which is translated as "God is Love, Lover and Beloved". They internalize that awareness of the Divine, and ride it like an arrow to the Heart of God.
I could go on and on with all sorts of examples.
But altruism is not uncommon 'in the wild'. Many creatures will make an effort to help others (sometimes of other species) at a cost to themselves. This has been clearly demonstrated under scientific conditions with rats.
Casual hyperbolic use of 'love', such as 'love for your fellow man', or 'love of a Big Mac' is not generally referring to the intense emotion, any more than calling critics 'haters', really refers to the emotion of hate.
But language changes and blurs meanings. Maybe we'll soon need a new word to distinguish between 'true' love and love of a beer...
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