While many of us may have sensed it intuitively, there is now science behind the statement that “love is all you need.” A 75-year longitudinal study by Harvard researchers recently revealed that love itself is the one true key to a happy and fulfilling life.
With love being so closely connected to meaning and fulfillment, it’s valuable for each of us to define love as a verb, an action or series of actions we can take to bring us closer to the people we value. In a romantic context, some essential characteristics that fit the description of a loving relationship include:
- Expressions of affection, both physical and emotional
- A wish to offer pleasure and satisfaction to another
- Tenderness, compassion and sensitivity to the needs of the other
- A desire for shared activities and pursuits
- An appropriate level of sharing of one’s possessions
- An ongoing, honest exchange of personal feelings
- The process of offering concern, comfort and outward assistance for the loved one’s aspirations
Love includes feeling for the other that goes beyond any selfishness or self-interest on the part of the loved one. As such, love nurtures and has a positive effect on each person’s self-esteem and sense of well-being. Love is being truthful and never involves deception, because misleading another person fractures his or her sense of reality and is, therefore, an actual human rights violation that adversely affects mental health.
From: Lisa Firestone – http://huffingtonpost.com
