Everyone is probably at least a little familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs whether they know it by name or not. My friend brought to my attention that she hasn't ever really seen me get "into" a relationship. Made me realize that if I had to, I wouldn't be able to define love or even say I've even been in it. My question today is if we even need love. Do we? Why?
I don't think you have to have each level before the next can be reached but I do think thy have a big influence..sexual love is counted as the same as friends and family and without those its hard to have self esteem and self actualization..also Maslow didn't intend them to be in a pyramid and says you only need the first level to be able to achieve the next levels..i swear they teach this is every business class I take
Yes, we all need love but not in the sense that we need to have a single partner to be in love with. Love is the emotion that connects all of us, Fear is the opposite which repels. Just as fear can come in many, many forms, so can love. Humans need the strong bond that love brings to live a joyous fulfilling life. If a person lives their life without giving and/or getting any love it takes its toll on their personality and their life. I do think that in this society it is best for everyone to be in a loving relationship with a someone especially if there is unconditional love, but like I said I don't think it's completely necessary as long as we are feeling and giving love in other ways.
Love in some form is needed, a partner of the opposite sex having control over your own life isn't what I'd call love.
Sounds corny, but love keeps the world spinnin' round. I really believe that. That is why a person on the other side of the world that you never met can feel your pain.
first define love so we can talk about the same thing. love- not a fairy tale disney-princess bullshit i believe love is a verb, an action, a choice. you choose to love someone on a daily basis through the sacrifice of your own wants and desires for another person. whether it is as small as holding the door for an old lady or spontaneously taking a 'lover' on a roadtrip around the country. love is a verb and a choice, not a noun and a feeling. it isn't fleeting and doesn't go and come. love is dedication. now that we are on the same page. yes we NEED it. i think we- as fallible, hateful, spiteful, self progressing beings-only exist because of love. love makes you think of your actions impact on others and in turn makes you alter your actions for the better of all. without love we stab each other in the back and steal for our own personal financial gain. love is a necessity. look at the progressing violence in the world, i don't have 'actual' statistics, but i would say the crime rate highly correlates with the divorce rate (not that marriage is indicative of love anymore..but i think it used to be). why do people act out and hurt other people? they are looking to fill a void that was never filled. what if hitler's mom gave him more hugs and told him she was proud of him for whatever he did? what if ted bundy was taught that women were valuable and that they should be treated as such? granted some people lack emotional capabilities...but wouldn't this argue my case more so? love...god, where the hell would we be without it. or better, how much Worse off would we be if people failed to continue giving love against the odds over the recent decades. think about it, could you truly imagine a world without love...at all? i sure as hell can't
I think we do need love, but not romantic love. There is a difference. Romantic love, I can do without.
i understand where you are coming from, but i would even argue for the need of romantic love. i don't think it has to be a continual thing, for some people finding it once is enough, and even for others finding it once was to much. but i think that companionship and that feeling of knowing and being known is irreplaceable, at least once in life. i think it is an integral part in character development as well as making one more socially aware. for some love is the fuel that drives there passion, for others it has or is the fire that eats there being. i think the people are the key here. love though i think should be had in all capacities, needed even.
You've been in love, everyone has. You have certainly exchanged love (not neccesarily sex) with someone or a few people in your life. Love isnt some mighty upper-conscious emotion exclusive to a sexual relationship or 'soul mate'. It can be used as a very broad term. The section of Love/Belonging isnt so much finding 'the one' but having a stable and balanced family/social/sex life.
Yes, love is as vital as water. Every living being on this planet experiences love in some form. For humans, a life that lacks love is very depressing.
Short answer: Yes Long answer: everything terrible needs love. Humans suck, so naturally without love/compassion/empathy we'd all just kill eachother off. And thats no fun. I love living.