Define And Measure Love: A Challenge for You and Me

Love, that crazy little thing called

Can we even attempt to define it? What do you say?ove, has got me thinking.

Should we dive into the depths of research and come up with one definition that applies to everyone, in every relationship, whether it’s blood-related, sworn (like marriage), or even based on regular or a single interaction? And hey, let’s not forget about the love for animals, objects, nature, causes, spirits, and even our mental states like stress or depression. Sounds like a wild ride, right? But is it even possible? Let’s find out!

Rate the Difficulty of the Project

Rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. On this scale, 10 means the most difficult, and 11 means ‘impossible’. Go ahead, rate it now and lock in your response, if you are sure of it. Else, read on.

Background:

Now, before we embark on this mind-boggling journey, let’s take a quick look at what’s been done in this area.

Gods told people to love. But Gods did not explain what was love they spoke of and how is the feeling of love generated in all situations for all people and things. That’s why only some can love only some of the time.

Countless philosophers could only categorize love. Like this:

Eros — Romantic, Passionate Love (Of the Body)
Philia — Affectionate, Friendly Love.
Storge — Unconditional, Familial Love.
Agape — Selfless, Universal Love.
Ludus — Playful, Flirtatious Love.
Pragma — Committed, Long-Lasting Love.
Philautia — Self Love.

Medical doctors could only describe what being in love does to the brain, and the body and what kind of chemicals are released.

Famous people could only come up with beautiful-sounding yet meaningless quotes to confuse the masses even more.

In March 1975, Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire decided to highlight wasteful government spending by issuing “Golden Fleece” awards. He awarded his first Golden Fleece Award to Elaine Hatfield and Ellen Berscheid because the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded them $84,000 to study and research LOVE.

Yes, you heard that right! Love became a subject of formal ridicule, but hey, we’re not here to back down from a challenge, are we?

The Quest for a Universal Definition:

So, here’s the plan: we’re going to dig deep into the complexities of love and attempt to find a definition that fits all situations, all relationships, and even all times. It’s like trying to catch a unicorn while juggling flaming torches — a bit crazy, but hey, who doesn’t love a good challenge?

Love in All Its Forms:

Love isn’t just about romantic relationships. It’s about the love we have for our furry friends, our favorite objects, the environment, or those causes that tug at our heartstrings. We even want to include things and entities that some say don’t exist and none can see. Yes, that includes, God, ghosts, or our mental states like when we are in depression. We want to explore it all!

Quantifying Love:

Now, here’s where things get more interesting. Can we measure the intensity of love too? Picture this: a Love-O-Meter that gives you a Love Index and a Cupid’s Approval rating. Or how about a Love Equation that combines affection, compatibility, and shared experiences into a mathematical formula?

Yes, we also want to develop a mathematical formula to calculate love. That’s part of the challenge.

Final Thoughts:

While defining love may seem like an impossible task, we’re here to challenge the status quo. Remember, love is a mystery, but that doesn’t mean we should not try to unravel it.

Reminder:

Rating Time! Are you ready with your rating about the ease, difficulty, or even impossibility of this project? Also, feel free to share your thoughts you have on this wild quest to define love.

Wish Me Luck or Give me Advice Along with a Rating

I want to seek your forgiveness.

Without waiting for and irrespective of your rating, I have started working on this project.

What’s more, I have widened the scope of the project even more. I want a single universally applicable definition not only for love but also for every emotion, whether positive or negative, and a single method to compute the intensity of every such emotion. If you have any advice for me or just want to express your sympathy, do let me know. I will have an update for you as soon as I finish the project. Wish me luck, at least! If you want to join in, you are welcome!

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Follow me,Vijay S Sharma

My Poems are here,Word View📝

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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From The Good Men Project on Medium

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