Definition of love

Some one once asked me how do you define love? It was ideal Sunday, afternoon sun & we were just having some idyllic conversation. I dismissed his question with the remark "who does???But then, later I thought about and tried my hand at the question which even the great philosophers have tried!I'm in esteemed company!!!!

According to the Oxford definition, there are 7 definitions, the 2 most pertinent ones are: -

1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.

Here is my definition:
Love is a basic dimension of human experience that is variously conveyed as a sense of tender affection, an intense attraction, the foundation of intimacy and good interpersonal chemistry, willing self-sacrifice on behalf of another, and as an ineffable sense of affinity or connection to nature, other living beings, or even that which is unseen. It manifests itself in feelings, emotion, behavior, thoughts, perception and attitude. It influences, underlies and defines major patterns in interpersonal relationships and self-identification.

But how do we know if its there? I mean the fundamental issue remains the same. How can we know if its there in your body? Well, sorry to disappoint you all. But you can never know for certain. Because there is no One general answer that can satisfy this persistent query...
Lets not consider the sentimental reasons like being unable to live without the other person and thinking about him/her. As these are mainly unsatisfied emotional needs....
I would just say what You know you are in love when you are in love. It may sound self-contradictory. But its the closest to the answer you can get. Love is all about setting yourself free from all of the barriers, obstructions and stigmas. In the end, you should not regret falling in love. No matter what happens, you should be able to look back and say "THOSE WERE THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE"!

Statutory Caution : Love is a quintessential human delusion simultaneously the source of our greatest strength and our biggest weakness. For the pessismistics, Love is a direct result of chemical reactions and hormones which lead to the onset of emotions, which lead love to be designed overwhelmingly to defy logic and reason. Its complex. And I have barely scratched the surface here…

Phew………………..