Is There Really Such a Thing As “Real Love”?

Love is the essence of life and all that glitters is not gold. Love encompasses a spectrum of both positive and negative emotional and psychological states, from a sublime ideal of human perfection, the highest personal trait, to the lowest common pleasure. It is often difficult for even the brightest of people to appreciate what love is, let alone that everyone has a natural love for one another.

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Despite popular opinion, love does not mean lust. Often when lust meets love, the latter feels like an intrusion rather than an integrated feeling, but in truth, this often occurs because the former is more emotionally driven than the latter. If a person has lustful feelings for another person, those feelings are usually not deeply connected with genuine love. True love, on the other hand, is much deeper than just sexual attraction; true love is a purer form of emotion that often requires some interaction.

Most of us experience love on a day-to-day basis; however, many of us rarely think about those feelings that exist beyond our daily lives. These feelings may be simpler than we imagine, as well-being can be a simple state of being. Feeling well-being can involve physical well-being, mental well-being, or spiritual well-being. Regardless, all of us experience feelings of well-being from time to time, and these feelings can lead to a healthy overall health.

Love can be a powerful emotion, but it can also develop into unhealthy relationships if the love is not nurtured properly. Not all infatuation is unhealthy; in fact, all forms of infatuation can be healthy if they are nurtured properly. Those who feel very strongly attracted to another person, but who do not have the time, resources, or emotional boundaries needed to sustain a serious relationship can fall into what is called “insecure love,” which can lead to unhealthy habits of infatuation. Intimacy can actually help to reduce stress levels, because being intimate with another person can often provide a safe place to explore our own emotions and fears without the stress of an outside relationship. Many couples who realize the benefits of deep intimacy find that they can enjoy each other’s company more and grow together through the deepening intimacy.

Love can also develop strong feelings of friendship when shared between two people who become friends first through their shared experience of love. When one person shares his or her deepest thoughts and experiences with another, there is a bond that is created that cannot be broken. The friendship deepens as the two people learn to identify with one another, and trust is built on a foundation of trust and caring. All of the positive benefits mentioned above can come from developing strong feelings of friendship, even if those feelings only surface occasionally. As long as those feelings are nurtured and cared for, they can lead to a deeper level of emotional intimacy.

The most important benefit of deep affection is that it can transform into all of the other types of romantic love. As mentioned earlier, love can result in strong feelings of love for one person, while missing someone or being hurt by another. However, being deeply in love with someone results in a much higher level of emotional intimacy, which can bring about all of the other positive benefits discussed above. Deep feelings of love are a powerful and important part of romantic relationships, and when those feelings are nurtured often transform into feelings of friendship, adoration, and other deep feelings that are incredibly meaningful.