Definition of love.

[xilayeggsx]

I am conducting a research paper for sociology on the definition of love and how it varies from culture to culture. I need definitions from a variety of people so I am here asking you wonderful people what you think the definition of love is. You do not, and I prefer you to not, go over 3-5 sentences. Please help, I want a good grade on this paper.

If you could also give me an age/sex/location and tell me if your in a relationship or not.
I will provide an example:

21/male/Independence Missouri
In a relationship and have a daughter with my significant other.
I define love by explaining the polar opposite emotion: Hate. Something you hate is something you want no part of and you either separate yourself from it or kill it. Hate blinds you with furry and adrenaline. Love is similar and opposite because it blinds you as well but with butterflies. Both, love and hate, can turn you into a host by the power of their possession and at the same time on separate ends of the emotional spectrum.

Yours does not have to be as thought out as mine because I'm the one writing the paper.

[romantic_guy]

56 year old male, Maryland, USA
Married 39 years to my high school sweetheart

I believer that there are three aspects to love. There is a friendship love which is the type of love I have for others expressed by kindness and generosity. There is a romantic/passionate love which is the type of love that is erotic, sexual and expressed by physical intimacy. Then there is an unconditional love which is expressed by forgiveness, not holding a grudge, and accepting the person loved just as they are.

[xilayeggsx]

im sorry i should of clearified. I meant your personal defintion of romantic love.

[searock]

22/female/European Union

I'm dating my best friend, we've known each other for 3 years and have been dating for 3.5 months.

To me, romantic unconditional love is when I feel like somebody is part of me, I feel that being with him is the most right thing that could happen to me, like it's exactly as it should be. I know I'm in love when I get dizzy and tearful at the only thought of losing him somehow, when I feel extremely happy just at the thought of being with him, when I put his happiness above my own, because his happiness makes me happy. When I can gaze at him for hours and never get tired, and feel a "rush of love" just by thinking of him. When everything reminds me of him and if anything (fun, bad, whatever) happens to me I want to share it with him. When there is a deep connection, and communication, that goes way beyond words and that nobody else but the two of us could understand. When my life doesn't feel "right", if he isn't part of it. I know it's "true love" when all these feelings don't gradually fade with time, but they last for years (perhaps forever).

[John Littlejohn]

I define love by explaining the polar opposite emotion: Hate.

Aww, the innocence of youth. Anyone who's been cheated on or jilted, or dumped, or had to dump, or had their heart broken, knows that love and hate are far from being opposites. They're siblings. The opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference.

Anyway, I'll give you my answer...
36/male/NYC
Polyamorous marriage with wife, dating 2 others.
Love is that state in which the happiness of another is necessary for your own.

I think, though, if you actually want to write a paper about different cultures, then this is not exactly a scientific place to ask, since you'll be sampling primarily European and European-derived western cultures. And here's the thing--- most other cultures won't even have a definition of "romantic love" (except insofar as they've had contact with Europe), because "romantic love" is an invention of the 17th century European Enlightenment.