You know you sang the title of this blog and the rest of the lyrics :)
But really, what is love?
I know that I haven't really figured it out, but many psychologists such as Robert Sternberg
believe that different forms of love can be classified under three categories: Intimacy (liking), Passion (infatuation) and Commitment (empty love). These categories then overlap in Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, where intimacy + passion = romantic love, passion + commitment = fatuous love, and commitment + intimacy = compassionate love.
What happens when you have all three forms of love? You get consummate love, essentially the ultimate form of love (yay!).
But why is this theory of any significance? Aren't we suppose to determine what love is through our own personal relationships? Not through a theory some random man with a degree made up? Well, the theory can come into play when determining where our current relationships stand, and possibly identify any "missing gaps" to achieve the total package of love. Or, we may use the theory to possibly sort out our emotions and determine what kind of love we're even looking for. For example, say you're feeling too young for a committed relationship and all you really want is to be with someone you care for and do the horizontal boogie (sex) at times — then you would strive for romantic love (intimacy + passion).
I feel as five years down the line, I would remember a psychological concept like this. Because when it comes down to it, love is a psychological emotion that becomes conveyed into action (hopefully). Emotions never escape us, and love is something that we naturally fall into at some point in life. The theory can help us find out where we are now, and in turn where we want to be. But love isn't just some cookie cutter process that the theory makes it out to be. Love is felt and shared in different ways in which understanding what it really is becomes a unique experience for everyone.