Love and Emotions: The Cause and Effect / PART TWO

Love is Self-Sacrificial

What is love?

Most people will say that love is an emotional bond between two persons. This definition may be acceptable in our everyday lives but let us be clear, it is far from being accurate. Love is not an emotion. In fact;

1. Love does not grow or intensify through time. It is unconditional and it is to be given freely and abundantly from the very start. It’s not love that grows, it’s the affection;

2. Love does not come in various flavours to suit all your relationships. The love you have for your mate is the same love you have for your friends. Love does not discriminate. Love is the cause that creates an effect. It is the event that stirs up your affections and actions;
3. Love is not a reward you offer but an obligation you fulfill. It easy to love someone when they are kind, sweet, and respectful. But love remains standsfast when someone persecutes and disrespect you. It does not abandon;
4. Love is not about sex but about a moral commitment;
5. Love does not have an expiry date. It is forever;
6. Love is not limited to your selection of friends. Love shines its grace upon everyone;
7. Love is not a chamelion that changes with history. Love remains the same through out time;
8. Love never pauses. It is based on the works of edification. Building up is a perpeptual action;
9. Love never fails!


Love is an eternal contract.

“Love is an agreement of faith to honourably commit to the well-being and edification of every person without partiality or limitation.”

Love is neither an emotion or an action but a moral commitment. It is found in the deeper realm of our being - the subconscious or the spirit. It is the realm where all of your core values are located. A place where intuition thrives and instinct dies. The place where self-sacrifice is the norm and self-preservation is not. It’s where a person rescues a stranger at the risk of his very own life. It is where intuitively you know that killing is wrong. No teachers or gurues required, you just know what is morally acceptable. It is a place where the need of others are addressed. Now you have past the proverbial innercourt of your temple. You have pushed through the vail and entered a special place. Love dwells here.

Emotions are centralized in your mind (or soul). Love does not abide here. Actions are produced by the physical body and again love does not abide here. But has mentioned, love is the cause of the affections and actions. Love does stimulate them into existance, just like any other events excites your senses. Love generates a response or what I call an ‘entourage’. It is this entourage of emotions and actions that we perceive as being different from person to person. Think of a passing storm as the event. To many a storm is frightful and people that are negatively impacted by it will find shelter. However some people welcome the storm because it excites them. And still some might even chase the storm hoping it will spawn a tornado. One event - the storm, and it can produce all manners of emotions and actions. Love is an event found imbeded in your heart that will propogate a specific entourage for each person.

Love influence emotions. Emotions does not influence love. If emotions were capable of exerting authority over love, then love would be as fleeting as an affection.

© 2011 Unlimited Harmony - Tricotomas

Photo Credit:  Firefighter Rescue
Photographer: Annie Wells

Year: 1997 Pulitzer