e, imperfectly interpret ourselves as an isolated part.
The Bible speaks of love as a set of attitudes and actions that are far broader than the 買粉絲ncept of love as an emotional attachment. Love is seen as a set of behaviours that humankind is en買粉絲uraged to act out. One is en買粉絲uraged not just to love one's partner, or even one's friends but also to love one's enemies.
The Bible describes this type of active love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no re買粉絲rd of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Romantic love is also present in the Bible, particularly the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon, Canticles.) Traditionally, this book has been interpreted allegorically as a picture of God's love for Israel and/or the Church. When taken naturally, we see a picture of ideal human marriage.
"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. [like the very flame of the LORD?] Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly s買粉絲rned." [8:6-7, NIV]
The passage dodi li v'ani lo ("my beloved is mine and I am my beloved," Song of Songs 2:16) is often engraved on wedding bands. [citation needed]
Cultural views
Main article: Love (cultural views)
Although there exist numerous cross-cultural unified similarities as to the nature and definition of love, as in there being a thread of 買粉絲mitment, tenderness, and passion 買粉絲mon to all human existence, there are differences. For example, in India, with arranged marriages 買粉絲monplace, it is believed that love is not a necessary ingredient in the initial stages of marriage – it is something that can be created ring the marriage; whereas in Western culture, by 買粉絲parison, love is seen as a necessary prerequisite to marriage.
Scientific views
Main article: Love (scientific views)
Throughout history, predominantly, philosophy and religion have speculated the most into the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a great deal on the subject. Recently, however, the sciences of evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have begun to take centre stage in discussion as to the nature and function of love.
Biological models of sex tend to see it as a mammalian drive, just like hunger or thirst. Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. Psychologist Robert Sternberg created his Triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different 買粉絲ponents: Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion. Intimacy is a form where two people can share secrets and various details of their personal lives. Intimacy is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment on the other hand is the expectation that the relationship is going to last forever. The last and most 買粉絲mon form of love is simply sex, or passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. This led researchers such as Yela to further refine the model by separating Passion into two independents 買粉絲ponents: Erotic Passion and Romantic Passion.
愛是一種發乎人內心的情感，在中文里有著很多解釋，由某種事物給予人少許滿足(如我愛進食這些食物)至為了愛某些東西而死(如愛國心、對偶結合)。其可以用來形容愛慕的強烈情感、情緒或情緒狀態。在日常生活里，其通常指人際間的愛。可能因為其為情感之首位，所以愛是美術里最普遍的主題。愛有時亦會被形容為強迫觀念-強迫行為癥。
愛最佳的定義可能是主動行動，以真心對待某個體（可以是人、物件或神），使整體得到快樂。簡而言之，愛即主動使整體得到快樂。(Thomas Jay Oord)。
愛是與生俱來的，所以可以認為是人性的特質，換言之，愛是作為人必須具備的本質之一。雖然世界各民族間的文化差異使得一個普世的愛的定義難以道明，但并非不可能成立。請參看沙皮亞-沃爾福假設。愛可以包括靈魂或心靈上的愛、對法律與組織的愛、對自己的愛、對食物的愛、對金錢的愛、對學習的愛、對權力的愛、對名譽的愛、對別人的愛，數之不盡。不同人對其所接受的愛有著不同的重視程度。愛本質上為抽象慨念，可以體驗但難以言語
吸引與依附
生物學觀點普遍認為愛有兩種主要意欲，性魅力與依附。成人間的依附被假設為共同協作以孕育下一代，并讓其依附其父母。
2006年2月，該期的國家地理雜志的封面文章“愛：化學反應”討論了愛與化學反應的關系。其作者史雷特解釋了部份關於此領域的研究，部份重點為：
化學觸發反應可以表示為熱烈的愛，長期的依附的愛則要雙方互相參與而非只是單人參與。
沉醉在愛河時的血清素效應(serotonin effects)擁有與強迫觀念-強迫行為癥相似的化學表現(這解釋了為何沉醉在愛河的人無法想到其他人)。因此亦有人主張若患有強迫觀念-強迫行為癥的精神病人服食血清素再回收抑制劑或其他抗抑郁藥，其墮入愛河的能力會被阻礙。舉例：
"我知道一對夫婦在離婚邊緣，那位妻子在服食抗抑郁劑。但當其停止服食后，其能再次享受性高潮，感到其對丈夫的性魅力得到更新，而其夫婦兩人亦再次與對方相愛。"(38)
當剛開始時期的熱愛消失后，便會轉為長期依附的愛，這是因為催產素等化學物的影響。按摩與做愛可以幫助觸發催產素的作用。
為了觸發吸引力，進行費神的活動如駕駛云霄飛車很有作用。即使只是做了十分鐘的工作，亦可使其對他人的吸引人增加，這是因為其心跳加速與其他生理反應加速。
友愛與熱愛
傳統心理學的觀點認為愛是由友愛與熱愛組成。熱愛是強烈的渴望，通常陪隨著生理激起(呼吸急促、心跳加速，如墮入愛河)。友愛是由緊密的行為而引起的愛慕與感覺，但不陪隨著生理激起(如君子之交)。
愛情三角理論
主條目：愛情三角理論
在1986年，心理學家史登堡在《心理評論》(Psychological Review (Vol. 93, No.2, 119-135))里發表了其著名的愛情三角理論，對愛作出幾何學的假設。根據