Is love real or is it just a chemical reaction in your brain?

[TsundereMatrix]

Just like how sexual tension is just your hormones going crazy through your body, you brain releases chemicals (hormones) that make you feel loved when you love someone. So is love even real? Thoughts on this? I’m a science junkie so this stuff intrigues me.

[JudgmentDay]

Chemical reaction in our brains and bodies. It fades over time. Very rarely do people ever stay together their partners all the way till they are in their elderly years, or at least until one partner passes away. Divorce and breakups are more common. People also change over time about how they perceive, think, and feel about their partner.

To me "romantic love" or whatever you want to call it, is always delusions and illusions, complete fallacies, completely false and in our heads.

The only thing close enough to "true" love to me is the willingness or eagerness to make sacrifices for the person that you "love", including the willingness to sacrifice one's own life to save that person. You'd have to not only be willing to live for that person, but also willing to die for them too, and it all has to be done willingly of your own free will and choice. And I doubt many people can go that far and deep and would be serious enough to die for the one that they claim that they "love" or is "in love" with, well except maybe for close ones like family members or relatives, but that's not the same kind of "love".

Even then that can still be questioned and challenged if that's just merely foolish love, blind loyalty, blind and foolish emotional attachments, making one act irrationally in response to how one is feeling for someone else or about someone else.

[Levin]

Surely that depends on your outlook?

To a scientific materialist dawkinite, everything can be explained in terms of chemical processes, for example, love would be a biological facade in order to ensure the survival of the species through long term mate pairings. Plus, as social creatures, it would make sense to secrete bonding hormones as this would further ensure one's own survival. Tricksy nature. And quite an appealing way of looking at things intellectually.

Personally I plump for a spiritual perspective. Physico-chemical processes are the physical manifestation of 'inner' or spiritual orientations in a particular direction. It's predicated on notions such as our lives having inherent meaning (they don't to a philosophical scientist, despite protestations to the contrary) and that we have an enduring soul at our centre, that we are all spiritual creatures, that each and every life has meaning. This is more difficult because it's hard to prove the intangible, especially if you test through the matter paradigm.
However, there is evidence, if you look for it. The mere fact that scientific-materialism leaves us hollow and fails to holistically or comprehensively address many of the issues in our lives gives some clue to it. There are many questions and nothing fits together. We can answer the how-fore, but not the why-fore.

[Red-Blaze]

What I wonder even if it is chemical reaction, dose that mean its not love?
I mean I can say that my idea is noting more then electric spark of nutrients (or what ever), but dose that make it less of an idea?

A computer game is really just a piles of 1 and 0 that are set on a magnetic disk that has nothing amazing about its own shape, dose that make it any less of an art?

I do not think one defies the other

Love is a human idea, just like a country, company, laws, math, storys, leaders, money and so much more

[Anonymous]

It's both.
Love is built through constant action/commitment, the constant choice to learn about each other and tweak whats working and whats not. The moment you decide you won't try anymore is the moment you start lose the love.

When you keep trying, you eventually form that love for each other where it feels like a pleasure to keep working on the relationship
its like being expert on any other thing/building any other skill , the love comes later, first comes action and hard work, in my theory.

[laurbeansxx]

It's definitely a chemical reaction, but I do believe there is something deeper to it than just chemical reactions, like a force that we can't comprehend. If love was JUST a chemical reaction, why don't we feel the same way about other attractive/appealing humans during the relationship?

[lumos]

Why would it be less real even if it did boil down to "just" being a chemical reaction?

[RagnarLothbrok1]

Well to quote the great Rick Sanchez "Listen Morty, I hate to break it to you, but what people calls "love" is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, Morty, then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it. Your parents are gonna do it. Break the cycle, Morty. Rise above. Focus on science."
That is the scientific way to explain "love." I've been in love and yes it does hit hard. Love is real to a point. Yes, two people come together and form a bond through mutual circumstances and living similar lifestyles. YOU yourself can improve upon this feeling by staying with that person for the rest of your life and improve that "love" throughout time. While fighting, compromising, having offspring and feeling you together in each other's accomplishments.

[Shakazo]

In science and everything two things are important. Source/Cause and its consequence. Chemicals effect are the consequence. I like to think that love is undefinable. But if i have to define it. It is a perfect match of all your memories/sensations dedicated to these memories/experiences/culture/education/all these choices preferences you did in your life/ your personality, with this person you love. So the most causes are unconscious and bang ! Love ! chemicals reaction run in your brain and everything as a answer to your choice, conscious or not to love her or him. We live everything through our senses, and our brain make its thing. Eternal love exists? i dont know, the chemical effects as everything can decrease but the brain stay at the command. So we can choice to maintain the bang! or to change and choose a new love. So that the dilemma : looking for just a drug effect in our brain or choose the right one that everything make us choose her/him and make everything logical.

[Miristheiss]

Love is real. I am reading your comment to infer you are specifically talking about "romantic/erotic" love and more specifically "feeling" love. I used to think of love that way. Sure, romantic love hits you with a wave of excited, passionate feelings there as you are getting to know someone you are attracted to and during that honeymoon phase. That's just one kind of love.

The more wide sweeping love is the general love you have for one another as people and that kind of love is an actual choice. It is not based on feelings (many times you don't feel like it) but it is action. Choosing to put other people ahead of yourself and doing things for them that they need or that will help them, regardless as to whether they are worthy, or whether they are thankful or whether you get anything out of it in return. This selfless kind of love is a choice and it is action and deed rather than "feeling".

[Nice_Guy_Last]

Ah, the border of science and philosophic ideas. I must say this: just because it is just a chemical reaction (to oversimplify it to the umpteenth degree) does not make it any more or less real to you.

You are the determiner of your reality. Is love just a chemical reaction, or does it have intrinsic meaning? That’s for you to decide. I for one find it comforting to think of it as something that transcends our minds: it’s effects are just as far reaching as any physical property of science, so long as there are those willing to carry love in their hearts.

[Bittu009]

It's real I guess because when I fell in love I just forgot everything and one she was there in my mind and then I thought my life has a meaning and a purpose and that only purpose was only to make her happy and love her, It felt like I was breathing only for her, I even thought of leaving everything for her. I was gonna devote my whole life for her but eventually I found out she was betraying me and I was totally broken and since then it's been 2 years now and still unable to overcome.
Yes I wanna feel all that again but I really don't know if all emotions are still present there or not, I only wish for reliving those moments but I don't know when will it happen.
Just having a very slight faith.

[Teapotato]

It’s all a chemical reaction in our brains. That doesn’t mean it’s not real. If two people are slightly deluded in one another’s favour, that’s good for them. It’s real to them. Is it objectively real? Who knows. That’s not an important question in my humble opinion. 🙂

[WhistleForTheChoir]

Both: chemical reactions are real. Unless you're religious/spiritual and believe in the existence of a metaphysical soul, all human thoughts, emotions and responses can be boiled down to a chemical reaction. It's my personal opinion that this doesn't make any of them less valid.

[Nahid1234]

I’ll say chemical reaction to the brain but it can be mistaken for Love.

[Nahid1234]

It snowed for the first time in years here in London in England. It didn’t Seattle but it was nice! Better than nothing!

[Nahid1234]

Do you have a ihop? They’re doing free pancakes today

[TsundereMatrix]

IHOP is an American place but I think we have one somewhere in this country

[Nahid1234]

Yea.

[kenworth]

Love is indeed real. There is no chemical reaction that can explain why someone would love so eone else who continuesly. Lies and steals from another. Yet i see it happen way to often

[Hurlyburly]

A chemical reaction in your brain is as real as it can get.

[RedRain]

Why would chemical reaction not be real? O dont understand the question.

[RedRain]

I meant "I"

[TsundereMatrix]

These chemical reactions make it feel like love is real so I’m asking if love is actually real if it’s just a feeling.

[RedRain]

Yes, I think whatever you feel is real. The fact that some chemical reactions are involved in the action of feeling doesn't make it unreal. Actually, you couldn't feel it if it weren't for the biological processes. It is triggered by external situations, and permitted by internal ones.

[N3sha]

Chemical reaction that hits hard and slowly fades, stick to the science my Dishonored fan mate.

[englisc]

If it was "just a chemical reaction" why would that make it not real?

[ZanyInternetName]

Define real. Chemical reactions are real, does that make love real? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?

[ZanyInternetName]

This one is a question for philosophy and not science.

[Nothing_Matters]

Technically it's a chemical reaction. But that doesn't make it fake, neither way, I don't trust it

[SarahsSummer]

It’s a lot more than a chemical reaction on your brain. That’s for sure.

[Dreku]

Ofc it is miss! Your whole perception of reality and yourself is just chemicals

[Gedaria]

Every thing we do is a chemical reaction in the brain that is what governs all our movements and emotions. I think you are over analising things get on and enjoy life !!!

[Leo3572]

Maybe but if it's chemical reaction I wouldn't like to hear it. To me love is real and always will be.

[babybeanboy]

I believe that love is real, but a crush is more of a chemical reaction.

[Dartzlink]

Basically: chemical reaction. On that matter, science kills the romantic side of love.

[hammeronfire]

it is a real chemical reaction in the brain so the answer is yes

[Tohhru]

Everything Inside of us is just chemicals lets not think to much about it

[TallAnon]

Just because it's a chemical reaction doesn't mean it's not real.

[AlexDelux]

Its probably a need that needs to be fulfiled so physical and mental

[Anonymous]

anyone who believes its just chemicals is dumb GOD is above the dome
GOD is love

[madhatters4]

it's real and it's a chemical reaction.

[Leafpool2]

It's real because the chemical reaction happens.

[boggboss]

Why can't love be a chemical reaction that happens

[Eridan]

The chemicals are real.

[BrownBratzDoll]

chemical reaction in your brain

[Papavera]

It's chemical reaction called love.

[DamnMan]

Both are fine choices, whatever floats your boat.

[Lumberman53TheSecond]

just a chemical reaction

[dagran]

Real and many chemical reactions

[Seppelson]

Love is just a chemical reaction but it's not bad

[issabelle]

little bit of both

[Anonymous]

it is a chemical reaction in the butthole.

[Decentguy]

oh, love is real !.

[iamshan]

It is real.