Evidence for the Existence of Love

[exchemist]

Love exists only in the mind. Therefore it's not real. We just imagine it's real, and that creates a chemical response, which fools us into believing it actually exists. It's just a trick of the mind.

It has been used to exploit believers in the myth of love, in order to try to control them and manipulate them. Therefore we need to let the believers in this silly outdated notion of love to know the truth and be set free.

Is this a Poe's Law moment?

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think that's precisely what this thread is about but don't quote me on that

Not exactly.

But it does demonstrate that love, like god(s), is a subjective personal experience that cannot be made objectively evident regardless of requests for evidence of its existence, no?

 

[sun rise]

Are you able to provide evidence of love? If so, please do so here.

Love at physical level manifests as gravity and magnetism. Love at the level of the body manifests as the urge to mate. Love at the ordinary human level manifests as the urge to being in a relationship. Another level of love is"when you accept the desire of another person as more important than your own, and you strive to fulfill it." (Rav Michael Laitman)

The evidence for gravity, sexual attraction is "left as an exercise for the student". Above those levels the evidence becomes ever more subjective.

 

[ChristineM]

Not exactly.

But it does demonstrate that love, like god(s), is a subjective personal experience that cannot be made objectively evident regardless of requests for evidence of its existence, no?

Love is never having to say sorry.

People don't go to war for love, they don't (usually) attempt to impose their love on all and sundry. Apart from that both love and gods are a product of the human mind. And i understand some other mammals can also experience love, i don't think i can say the same about gods

 

[Windwalker]

Is this a Poe's Law moment?

I'm sure there are some who might not understand the parody, so I thought adding the might help clue them in.

 

[Windwalker]

Love is never having to say sorry.

Worst line in a movie ever. Completely false.

People don't go to war for love, they don't (usually) attempt to impose their love on all and sundry.

The Trojan war ostensibly was. And if not at a city state level, certainly lovers killing those that cheat with their mates is certainly lethal violence.

Apart from that both love and gods are a product of the human mind.

There we go then. Love isn't real.

And i understand some other mammals can also experience love, i don't think i can say the same about gods

You can't say. Therefore, you don't know if cows actually are atheists.

 

[exchemist]

Love at physical level manifests as gravity and magnetism. Love at the level of the body manifests as the urge to mate. Love at the ordinary human level manifests as the urge to being in a relationship. Another level of love is"when you accept the desire of another person as more important than your own, and you strive to fulfill it." (Rav Michael Laitman)

The evidence for gravity, sexual attraction is "left as an exercise for the student". Above those levels the evidence becomes ever more subjective.

mm. I find the notion of love being applied to gravitational attraction between insensate bodies a bit absurd, and definitely damaging to the concept of love as ordinarily understood.

 

[ChristineM]

Worst line in a movie ever. Completely false.

Maybe for you

The Trojan war ostensibly was. And if not at a city state level, certainly lovers killing those that cheat with their mates is certainly lethal violence.

Cheating is not love

There we go then. Love isn't real.

Who said it was, i said it was if the mind

You can't say. Therefore, you don't know if cows actually are atheists.

Actually i was raised a dairy farm and never once did i see a cow worshipping a god

 

[Windwalker]

Maybe for you

So, love means doing something that hurt someone else, and never apologizing for hurting them? Okay.

Cheating is not love

Nor is war religion.

Who said it was, i said it was if the mind

Do you believe love only exists in the mind and therefore isn't actually real?

Actually i was raised a dairy farm and never once did i see a cow worshipping a god

Would you know if they were? Do you know forms that might take? Maybe one of those low moos was the cow's way of a praying. How would you know? Do you speak cow?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Do you believe love exists? Why or why not?

Are you able to provide evidence of love? If so, please do so here.

Of course love exists. But it may not be what so many would seem to like it to be, and there's the rub!

Love is an emotion. Emotions are one of the ways that our biochemical brains "speak" to us, guide us to the things we need, and away from the things that are not good for us. Physical attraction to another person suggests the possibility of producing strong offspring (assuming one is straight, of course). The love of a parent for a child is there to protect the investment made to furthering one's genetic contribution to future generations. Homesickness arises when vulnerable in a new venue, suggesting "call home, you'll feel more protected."

Organisms (like humans and ducks) are algorithms -- algorithms coded by billions of generations of genetic selection with the ultimate goal of passing on that genetic information to future generations. Put this way, it seems cold, mechanistic -- and in a way it is.

And yet, those same emotions (those biochemical imperatives) make us who and what we actually are! The love of a mother or father for a child, rooted in biology to pass on both parents' genes, are expressed in thousands of significant and insignificant impulsive actions every day -- a hug, a kiss, a doting look, the panic when it totters at the top of the stairs, the feeling of impotence when their first crush dumps them. All of those (each of which is just another emotion/algorithmic result) are proof of the existence of love itself.

This argument can be extended to the other ways in which humans experience love -- the way we "love" our friends, our parents, the mentors who taught us who we are when we were young.

Sorry, gotta end here, this is getting harder to write. (If there's a poet on the forum, I'll bet you could help me finish this post.)

 

[sun rise]

mm. I find the notion of love being applied to gravitational attraction between insensate bodies a bit absurd, and definitely damaging to the concept of love as ordinarily understood.

The common element in gravity on is attraction. I find nothing absurd about considering the idea of attraction at very different levels.

I don't find recourse to "common understanding" to be of overwhelming importance and challenging a concept should not be considered "damaging" that concept. If a concept is damaged by a different perspective, it's a very weak concept in the first place.

 

[WalterTrull]

Love exists only in the mind

Truly sorry.

 

[WalterTrull]

Can the same be said for the existence of god(s)? Why or why not?

That you can think of gods, plural, means we're not speaking the same language.

 

[Viker]

Yes. Empathy, compassion, earnest bonds between people. Love is all over the place.

 

[Viker]

Love exists only in the mind. Therefore it's not real. We just imagine it's real, and that creates a chemical response, which fools us into believing it actually exists. It's just a trick of the mind.

It has been used to exploit believers in the myth of love, in order to try to control them and manipulate them. Therefore we need to let the believers in this silly outdated notion of love inherited from the bronze age to know the truth and be set free.

The mind is real. What comes from it is real or can become real.

Love isn't just a thought or feeling it is an act and demonstration.

 

[Jimmy]

My gods the universe which provides me comfort which could be considered love.

 

[Windwalker]

Truly sorry.

He was right. Even despite my adding the smiley face to denote this was a parody post, someone took me seriously.

 

[Jimmy]

My family loves me.

 

[Windwalker]

The mind is real. What comes from it is real or can become real.

Love isn't just a thought or feeling it is an act and demonstration.

So then, when someone say God exists only in the brain, can we they counter that and say that too is real on the same basis?

 

[Viker]

So then, when someone say God exists only in the brain, can we they counter that and say that too is real on the same basis?

Only if they claim that is where God resides. Then we'd have to take them at their word. And then move on.

Love is also a result. An effect caused by one's sense of a bond to another, perhaps their empathy for them. If I were to claim to you I loved you and a minute later demonstrated other wise, a claim of love can be falsified. An act of love can be demonstrated and repeated.

The person saying God exists in the mind must let others know what that means, if they even know what they mean.