Yeah, I'll buy that.

Hey Richard
I was reading this last night in a 5 mnt break at work , and no time to write a word , plus , realized , had no words in any language to put my thoughts tghr . I saved the post to revisit .
Reading it again this afternoon , but time still an issue , getting ready for work soon .
Thinking .
Here is what I got to bring , that’s what I see for “ love “. I am gonna skip 40 yrs of using the word , walking the walks and singing the songs , nothing sticks out in my mind like “ great testimony of love “. Hello and good byes , sharing / itching / scratching . I ll give u this :
Last Thursday night , I got a page that they bringing me a 67 yr old lady , direct admission from eastern shore hospital .
Coming to me at 2300, after spending whole day at ER there , her primary care seen her labs after a routine visit , and told her to pack a bag and go to the hospital . Labs did look hideous indeed , kidney failure like no other , in a person without any apparent reason for such diagnosis .
The word was multiple myeloma , and the lady I received it was a hot mess of emotions , scare , anxiety , questions , and physical exhaustion.
Shortly after she arrived and situated and hooked up to everything , energency dialysis was the word , and 300 monkeys jumping around to prepare access , this and that and the other .
Every body got a piece of her body to work on it , and my job is to coordinate it all . And keep her alive . My lady was soft spoken , cordial and kinda quiet .
The first real words we exchanged in privacy btwen monkeys jumping and people in and out , were these :
“ this is gonna be stabilized the next 24 hrs ma’am and we gonna figure it out . Breathe and tell me what can I do to get u to smile “
_” coucho . I worry about coucho Mara . He is home alone . I called my sons but they won’t get there until tmrw . Do I have cancer ? What’s gonna happen to coucho . Coucho won’t make it without me , coucho is my worry right now “
Richard , that’s love . Coucho is a 6 yr old dog of hers and they live tght in her old house .
That lady couldn’t give a f about anything else , life included , besides coucho .
I have this to bring to the post . Coucho is loved . And anyone who is cared like that .
And I have to get ready for work

"Hugging and other forms of nonsexual touching cause your brain to release oxytocin, known as the "bonding hormone." This stimulates the release of other feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine. These neurochemical changes make you feel happier and less stressed. Research suggests that being touched can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure, lessen depression and anxiety, boost your immune system, and even relieve pain."

-from dignityhealth.com

Although that quote refers to non-sexual touch sex affects neurotransmitters in a similar way. BDSM causes so much release of neurotransmitters that many practitioners feel a significant drop within a day or two similar to that experienced by club drug users described as "suicide Tuesdays" and may cry for what appears to be no reason.

The lack of touch may be one of the reasons social distancing in the time of this pandemic has been so brutal on our mental health.

Do two or more searches.

1. What does a man who loves a woman do?

2. What does a woman who loves a man do?

3. You can devise other searches, like “What does Donald Trump do?”

Love is an emotion but in the long run is a decision. When you decide to love someone you know it was greater than lust.

I love bacon cheeseburgers! I know most people probably don’t approve of my perversions with pigs and cows, but the attraction is very real to me?!

I simply could not be bothered to respond to such an inane and pointless question, hence my erstwhile silence in that regard.

IMO, Our relations with everything are based on our Interests.
Love means the desire to Whom or What can secure, provide and answer our needs & Interests. then A Good relationship is when both sides care about the other one's needs & Interests as well.
I think any other definition is just a big Lie/Misunderstanding like GOD.
To me, it's the most selfish/self-oriented behavior/desire we have! like a business, things are stable till we can make and keep a good balance and a win-win situation for both sides of a relationship.
this can simply explain the childhood complexes, our social bonds, hormone-driven behaviors and ...etc.
even when with heroic behavior and sacrifices we answer another greatest desire.
to me, it's kinda another side of survival instinct.

Yes, I think you have a point about love being an emotion or instinct that has evolved in humans and animals that care for their young. Perhaps going a bit further, that same kind of love and caring can extend to the larger community of alternate caregivers and those dependent on them, and life partners or romantic interests. Those kinds of love are often reciprocal though not always. True love, that is mutually felt might be the unicorn, but some lucky people find that as well, not just dependence, but love.

But I feel that love can also be extended to material and also intangible things, in the way of that we might love a piece of art that makes us feel good, or a place where we feel welcome and filled with awe and wonder, or music that makes our heart beat dance with joy, the smells of food that tastes good and make our bellies happy, and a lot of things that we can love, even though they don't love us back, except to give us that good feeling.