What is the strongest quality of love?

Originally posted by arpgme

Yes, but you did not define the most important quality of "love" yet...

No, I did. The most important quality of love is its ability to bring about an abundance of life.

Unconditional love can be mean anything because today the term is ambiguous and people say "I love you" with hate in their hearts...

Unconditional love just means unconditional love. If you say, "I love you" with hate in your heart, you haven't changed the definition of love, you have only lied.

When you say "unconditional love" are you talking about "unconditional liking (affection)"? or are you talking about "unconditional care"?

I'm talking about unconditional love. Its pretty much the same thing as like. "I love you", to me, is just another way of saying "I like you". The same goes for "I like pizza". Like and love are interchangeable. So is "like" and "appreciate"

I think some words refer to the same thing, but different intensities of that thing. I think appreciation might would be the best word to use, for me anyway.

But it doesn't matter what word we use, all that matters is the actual concept we are referring to, which I'm sure is the same. No need for arguing when we agree, is there?

reply to post by smithjustinb


OK, thanks for the clarity. You said that "like" can be used interchangeably with "love", which means that you are using love in the sense of affection (fondness/liking).

The two major ways that love is used, in my opinion, is in affection or care.

For example, "I don't want you to smoke anymore because it is unhealthy and I love you". That could mean "I don't want you to smoke anymore because it is unhealthy and I care about you".

or for example, "I absolutely love to paint, that is my passion" can mean "I absolutely like to paint, that is my passion".

Maybe, love in the sense of "affection", "fondness", "liking" or "appreciating" (all the same) is the best definition because if you like something you'll care for it. Thanks for your perspective on this.

reply to post by arpgme


I don't agree with that, and this is just my opinion:

Concern is not necessarily worry. Worry would be an enduring expression of love, mainly because it continues.

I think what complicates things is that the perception of what love means is that it needs to endure.

I don't think that is necessarily true. You can "love someone" momentarily.

A small child, unable to speak will show love (concern) for another entity (be it a human or an animal) if it exhibits a form of distress. Once the distress has passed, with or without the child doing anything to make that happen, they will move on to whatever attracts their attention next. The same can be said of pets (dogs and cats most especially). They, unlike adults, do not dwell on that. It is nonetheless an expression, an exhibition of love.


It is the perception that love needs to endure, or that some sort of "sacrifice" must be made in order for it to be considered "love". I think this is what has muddied what I believe love is and had made it more difficult for people to express love in a positive way. It is those expectations of "the meaning of love" that has turned it into something that is feared.

reply to post by arpgme

Originally posted by arpgme
If the word "Love" did not exist and you have to use a word to describe its most important quality, what would that be?

Would it be care or affection? Or do you have a better word? It can only be one word and it has to be what you believe is the best quality of love.

I would point out that there is a remarkable difference between the common use of the word "love" in our culture and the experience of Divine Love.

If I had to pick another word to hint at the experience of Divine Love, it would have to be Bliss.

reply to post by ThreeSistersofLoveandLigh


Oh, OK, I see what you mean. That is an interesting perspective.

Originally posted by arpgme
If the word "Love" did not exist and you have to use a word to describe its most important quality, what would that be?

Would it be care or affection? Or do you have a better word? It can only be one word and it has to be what you believe is the best quality of love.

Disinterest.

Love takes the focus from self to the other.

reply to post by troubleshooter


That is not a good word to use for love. Disinterest - apath - careless. This not love. It have to be one word describing the most important quality of LOVE.

Originally posted by arpgme
reply to post by troubleshooter

 

That is not a good word to use for love. Disinterest - apath - careless. This not love. It have to be one word describing the most important quality of LOVE.

This is a common misunderstanding of the word...
...uninterested and disinterested are not synonyms.

Disinterested means that you are not interested in yourself as in 'disinterested benevolence'...
...which means to give without personal interest/return/consideration/concern.

Unity.

To be together with family you feel love, to be together with a partner you feel love, to be together with everything you feel Unity and Love. Perhaps they are one and the same.

reply to post by ThreeSistersofLoveandLigh


Sacrifice has no automatic negative connotation. There is certainly such thing as a willing sacrifice. To be able to escape self out of complete care for another is a state of bliss. To have that same willing sacrifice returned back is love.

Endure...because Love begets endurance of all things.

Originally posted by MsAphrodite
reply to post by ThreeSistersofLoveandLigh

 

Sacrifice has no automatic negative connotation. There is certainly such thing as a willing sacrifice. To be able to escape self out of complete care for another is a state of bliss. To have that same willing sacrifice returned back is love.

I agree, "sacrifice" does not necessarily have to be negative. When a sacrifice is made as an act of love, it is seen primarily in a positive manner. However, sacrifice is not necessary for love to exist.

I "love" my best friend: meaning that I am genuinely concerned with her happiness and well being. If I choose to do nothing to promote her happiness and or well being does that mean that I do not love her?

I think that "sacrifice" (positive or negative) would be more of an expression of love, or an act of it but not necessarily the "feeling" of love.

Most would agree that love is an "emotion". A word that would describe love best would also have to be considered and emotion. Sacrifice is not an emotion. It does elicit an emotion, and therefore would be considered an act.

When attempting to "define" love, we often use examples of what would elicit that emotion and therefore attach the causative force as a definition, so that people can understand it by relating to said causative force.

Love doesn't require sacrifice. People can love themselves, so then who do they sacrifice for?

I think it is the caring for and humanitarian efforts from oneself to/for others. Since love is selfless, unbiased and pure, there would be no inhibitions due to rules, prejudice, emotions etc.

How about intelligence
Love is aimed and excluding, therefore it is not love.
Intelligence is a whole different area, unknown, as most find intellectual food more interesting, or the guidance of a socalled master or priest.

Intelligence really needs to be awakened, and for it to be able to awaken we need to break through the surface of our daily living in this society which has become our reality.
The problems we have, our separated attitude, different believes, different cultural traditional backgrounds.
Culture implies growth, from the deepest darkness to a civilisation in which the good can flower, we have non of that in this world.
True culture is the flowering in goodness, not as american, black or white or jew or muslim, but simply as human beings.
The polution on this earth is because of acts from irresponsible humans, and faught by other humans, we are ambivalent in our ways.
killing, greed, war, power and position, oppression, anger, hate, fear, clearly show that we are not intelligence but merely programmed by the past which is our accumulated knowledge.
In that knowledge the word love is used for what we like to own, or desperately seek to enrich our life.
'I love you' is easy to say to someone, but often if that someone loves someone else or leaves because of whatever reason, the true violent nature comes to the surface.
'I love you' is an empty phrase.
The politician loves power and position
the rich man loves money and gold

Originally posted by arpgme
If the word "Love" did not exist and you have to use a word to describe its most important quality, what would that be?

Would it be care or affection? Or do you have a better word? It can only be one word and it has to be what you believe is the best quality of love.

Tolerance.

( Second )

Originally posted by QueSeraSera

Originally posted by arpgme
If the word "Love" did not exist and you have to use a word to describe its most important quality, what would that be?

Would it be care or affection? Or do you have a better word? It can only be one word and it has to be what you believe is the best quality of love.

Tolerance.

( Second )

This might be the best one I've seen yet. I was trying to avoid throwing the word, "acceptance" out there, because arpgme and I have had an argument about it before, but tolerance and acceptance are vital components of love.

Intolerance is equivalent to hate.

Love is the path, peace is the destination.

reply to post by smithjustinb


Since then, I have learned more. Acceptance must be a part of love because love is affection, it is liking things and how can you truly like something when you don't accept it? So I admit that you are correct now.

This is also true that Love (affection/fondness) brings Peace (calmness/acceptance). You can not be panicking when you are appreciating or being fond of something. You are always calm. I agree now.

The most important quality of love in our situation, is that love can extinguish fear. Humanity is supposed to take an evolutionary step in consciousness around these times, but the dark ones disables us by instilling fear in all of our reality. There is no escaping the fear they put into the system. They scare us with Nibiru, armageddon, judgment day, coming of the Anti-Christ, pole shift, economic disasters, evil aliens/spirits/jinns/demons, UFO invasion, WW III and so on and so forth.

These times are all about keeping everyone entrenched in fear. Now, imagine all the things you fear in life, be it 'trivial' stuff like touching a spider or speaking publicly, or major stuff like death. You avoid most if not all your fears almost all throughout your life. But would you not stand up to those fears to save a loved one? People, the time is now. This is the final battle between love and fear. We have been offered this chance several times before, and each time we chose fear and submission. Our planet cannot stand another term of fear and hatred, as we have depleted our resources. If we choose to meet our fears and stand up for love, we will usher in the golden age.

Choose love today, start by meeting your fears one by one! Don't mind the biggest fears you have, as you will meet them last. Just the thought of meeting your biggest fears will hold you back, but never mind them. Meet the smaller and more manageable fears first, and you will illuminate love and courage! You will be as a lion once again, ready to take on the world

Choose love today!

Compassion and Selflesness