Love is not a luxury but a fundamental human need, providing emotional protection and fostering bonds that help us navigate life’s challenges.

Examples:

• Love is described as a basic primary need, akin to oxygen or water, essential for emotional and mental well-being.
• It is considered the pinnacle of evolution, a compelling survival mechanism driving humans to bond emotionally with a precious few for safe haven and emotional security.

Where does this idea come from?

• Behavioral psychology
• Attachment theory
• Evolutionary psychology

What's similar to this idea?

• Connection as a survival mechanismConnection as a survival mechanismThe innate drive to form emotional attachments with a few irreplaceable individuals is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health, ensuring survival and well-being. Examples: * Emotional attachments are wired into our genes as a survival mechanism, as described by John Bowlby and inspired by Charles Darwin’s theories on natural selection. * Historical accounts, such as children in foundling homes dying from sadness or orphaned children suffering from emotional deprivation, highlight
• Romantic love is all about attachment and emotional bondingRomantic love is all about attachment and emotional bondingRomantic love is driven by the innate need for safe emotional connections and reliable emotional comfort, deeply rooted in human evolution and attachment theory. Where does this idea come from? * Attachment theory * Evolutionary psychology What's similar to this idea? * Maternal Attachment theory * The human need for emotional safety * Connection as a survival mechanism What's opposite of this idea? * Healthy love relationships are just rational bargains * Relationships between Adults wit
• Love as a mutual exchange of emotional support

What's opposite of this idea?

• Love as short-lived sexual infatuation (Freud)
• Love as a moral stance or selfless sacrifice
• Love as a transactional give-get bargain (Transactional relationships)

Where does this idea lead to?

• A love relationship has become the central emotional relationship in most people’s livesa love relationship has become the central emotional relationship in most people’s livesAs social isolation increases and supportive communities decline, people increasingly rely on their romantic partners to fulfill emotional connection and belonging needs once provided by larger social networks. Examples: * Modern lifestyles, characterized by long work hours, extended commutes, and fewer close community ties, reduce opportunities for building close relationships. * Loss of "social capital"—the continuous support and fellowship once offered by neighbors and extended communities
• Connection as a survival mechanismConnection as a survival mechanismThe innate drive to form emotional attachments with a few irreplaceable individuals is essential for physical, mental, and emotional health, ensuring survival and well-being. Examples: * Emotional attachments are wired into our genes as a survival mechanism, as described by John Bowlby and inspired by Charles Darwin’s theories on natural selection. * Historical accounts, such as children in foundling homes dying from sadness or orphaned children suffering from emotional deprivation, highlight
• Understanding love as essential for health and resilience
• Improved approaches to resolving relationship problems

Status: #idea
Tags: love, relationships, connection, attachment, survival

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References

Hold Me Tight by Dr Sue Johnson > Part One: A New Light on Love