Is Love planned? Need desperate answer...

In summary: Love is a product of our biology and socialization, not something predetermined by past experiences. Our genes may influence our tendencies, but ultimately we have the power to choose who we love and how we love them.
  • #1
DoweExist?
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What happens when we fall in love? As a result of certain stimuli, the hypothalamus releases a powerful discharge of endorphins, but why exactly that woman or that man? Is there a release of odorless pheromones that correspond to a complimentary genetic signal? Or is it physical features that we recognize? A mother's eyes, a smell that stimulates a happy memory. Is love part of a plan? A vast war plan between two modes of reproduction. Bacteria and viruses are asexual organisms. With each cell division, each multiplication, they mutate and perfect themselves much more quickly than we do. Against this, we respond with the most fearsome weapon: Sex. Two individuals, by mixing their genes, shuffle the cards and create an individual who resists viruses better the more disimilar he or she is. Now, are we unknowing participants in a war between two modes of reproduction? In other words is it really planned or do we just follow whatever our hearts tells us? I am really confused..
 
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  • #2
The answer to your first question "What happens when we fall in love?" is addressed in a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, July 2010.
Here is a link: http://jn.physiology.org/content/104/1/51. As far as why a particular man or woman, I recall a recent (a few years ago) article that I cannot locate. It said that if you stay on a friendly, non-romantic for the first month of associating with someone, that romance is very unlikely.

My guess would be that pheromones have nothing to do with it.

Don't get too desperate.
 
  • #3
.Scott said:
The answer to your first question "What happens when we fall in love?" is addressed in a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, July 2010.
Here is a link: http://jn.physiology.org/content/104/1/51. As far as why a particular man or woman, I recall a recent (a few years ago) article that I cannot locate. It said that if you stay on a friendly, non-romantic for the first month of associating with someone, that romance is very unlikely.

My guess would be that pheromones have nothing to do with it.

Don't get too desperate.
Im just looking for a good answer if its really in our GENES, like for example is our love life from the past and i mean reincarnation?
 
  • #4
You seem to have read some new age baloney since you first posted this in the quantum physics forum and now you talk about reincarnation. Genes are biological data, in the form of molecular configurations, inherited from your parents.

As far as genes go, of course they code human tendency to seek a partner. But that is very vague, because some individuals are asexual, or choose celibacy, others choose partners that have little chance of survival (in some European 1800s culture women affected by syphilis were considered attractive). The same goes with pheromones, they have nothing to do with precisely whom you fall in love; or the releases in endorphins or oxytocin, they correspond to that experience but they don't start it. So the genes only provide some basis, and later the experiential baggage does the rest.

As for determinism goes, "we're in a war between different organisms", you can see something in many different ways. You can still see a psychological determinism if you get rid of the biological one: your unconscious memories determine who you're attracted to. Or you can say "I follow my heart". The point for me is moot: it may depend on the context, and the three options (not that there aren't others, it's just an example) may well be one and the same: for example if you don't conceptualize a split between yourself and the physical body, the physical cannot "determine" you like a puppet, because it is you, and so your decisions or "following your heart" are yours and the physical processes all the same. It's just philosophy so all options are moot.
 
  • #5
DoweExist? said:
Im just looking for a good answer if its really in our GENES, like for example is our love life from the past and i mean reincarnation?
Would it be too much to consider that you may get to make the choice yourself?
 
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  • #6
Human capacity for love is determined by our genes only inasmuch as the emergent consequence of our genetics throughout development is the capacity for love. In terms of why people find specific stimuli attractive there's certainly a strong social/cultural element working off of innate biological sexuality.

It has nothing to do with past lives or any other nonsense.
 
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1. Is love a conscious decision or a chemical reaction?

This is a highly debated topic in the scientific community. Some argue that love is purely a result of chemical reactions in the brain, while others believe that it is a conscious decision influenced by factors such as upbringing and personal experiences.

2. Can love be planned or is it purely spontaneous?

Again, this is a matter of perspective. Some believe that love cannot be planned and is a spontaneous feeling that happens naturally, while others argue that it can be consciously cultivated through actions and behaviors.

3. Is there a specific part of the brain responsible for love?

While there is no one specific part of the brain solely responsible for love, research has shown that the release of certain chemicals, such as dopamine and oxytocin, play a significant role in the experience of love.

4. Can love be scientifically explained?

Love is a complex and subjective emotion, making it difficult to be fully explained by science. However, there have been studies and research conducted on the physiological and psychological aspects of love, shedding some light on its scientific explanation.

5. Is love a universal experience or does it differ between cultures?

While love is a universal human experience, cultural norms and values can influence the way it is expressed and perceived. Different cultures may have varying beliefs and attitudes towards love, leading to differences in how it is experienced and understood.

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