“…What you’d called love, is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed, it hits hard … then it slowly fades leaving you stranded in a failing marriage, … “ — Rick and Morty Show S01E09
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That quote often lingers in my mind. Is love truly nothing more than a biochemical trick designed to ensure survival and reproduction? If the chemistry fades, does love fade too?
To explore this, we need to understand what shapes our internal emotions, feelings, and love, and how they define the human experience.
Emotion vs Feeling: What’s the Difference?
Emotion
The psychological condition/natural neurochemical reaction of humans when responding to complex experiences of consciousness, bodily sensations, and behavior that reflect the personal meaning of something, an event, or a situation that occurs naturally and naturally without us realizing it (unconscious mind).
Feeling
Feelings are more about human reactions to emotions. Feelings can arise from our experiences in the form of physical reactions (conscious experiences) or other factors, such as the five senses of hearing, feeling, seeing, and smelling.
“Emotion is the spark, Feeling is the story we tell about that spark. Sometimes we don’t understand our emotions — but we feel their impact anyway.”
“What is love?”…“Baby don’t hurt me…” 🙂
Love is a biological drive resulting from a person’s psychological state toward deep and meaningful emotions and feelings.
Love is a primitive and basic feeling shared by all living creatures. Like humans, living creatures such as animals also possess feelings such as love, which play a significant role in the evolution and reproduction of their species. Furthermore, they possess emotions that can change depending on their surroundings and their own feelings, such as when threatened by predators or when stressed.
[Even water can feel “emotions” if given external stimuli that are negative or positive]
What can love do for humans?
- It releases hormones/chemical reactions, such as dopamine (feelings of joy) and oxytocin (attachment), and in some situations, adrenaline is released, which can cause anxiety, a racing heart, nervousness, and sweating.
2. It creates motivation and purpose in life. Strong love can create a powerful drive in humans. Many people ultimately find meaning in life through love and are driven to develop for the better. We have dreams, learn to understand ourselves, and want to become the best version of ourselves. All of this will become better and more meaningful if it is based on love.
3. It affects mental health. I consider love a double-edged sword; it can protect but also stab. Love can create the sweetest experiences in life, or it can create deep sorrow if lost.
So… What Makes Love Worth It?
In my personal opinion, everything we believe is meaningful and worth fighting for is based on love. It starts with waking up earlier than usual to work at a toxic company for our partner, children, or ourselves. On the other hand, love can hurt us; loss and betrayal are the painful consequences of intense love.
Love hurts because it matters. Love changes us because it’s real. Love gives life its story. Just like me and her, A to Z and all things between us are worth it.
