For many years of my life and during my schizophrenia I did not “feel” love. I had some idea about it. If you asked me, I would not have been able answer. Fortunately I did have some love of family.
Do you understand how harmful it is to having a good life when you don’t know what love is?
Here’s a song by Foreigner which I think is pretty good:
“I didn’t know what love is”
I love a very limited number of people, but I manage to love every kitten and cat I encounter or see. There is definitely something wrong with that.
I don’t think most people know what love is. They are everywhere failing, or just pretending. Its why I can’t find a sustainable attraction to anyone. They only swear that they know, and then act otherwise.
I need to learn my own true worth in order to truly trust another in love.
Otherwise,
Like @Ninjastar once said to me, I will just be doubting the relationship fearing that they will leave me. And therefore not enjoying the relationship.
I need to learn to recognise my value so that I can feel that a partner recognises and treasures it too
Love is only for the lucky and the few I mean romantic love
Family and freinds have shown me love
I was confused about love as some say it’s an educated choice. You got it comfortable cause you are loved, you make others life comfortable cause of love. It’s to do with kindness, care. That is at the moment what I think to this issue.
It’s hard to love, it’s easier to hate.
My life has been mostly absent of me being in love much. When I was a kid I loved my parents but I felt let down by the age of 12. It wasn’t anything they did wrong but it was easy to blame them a lil bit for feeling hurt. Now I love them fully and truly again. And my cat Don Juan. I really love him. I have friendships with a bit of love too. And my love for nature, and the universe, and when I take my Thorazine. I love my Thorazine I guess
These are all great replies. Thank you all.
I asked, “What is love?” Here is what I think.
Love is a strong, pleasant emotion of caring and bonding with another person. Husband and wife, and parents and children, most often have long-term love. It works very well to keep people together. People are willing to work and make sacrifices in the name of love. It is meaningful.
Now if love is an emotion, why can’t I feel it? I like people, but I consistently seem indifferent. I do some of the behaviors of love, like listening, caring, and self-sacrifice. I treat people as special and I feel special. But I must have a limited heart because I don’t really feel love. I sometimes feel I could drop family and friends at a moment’s notice and wouldn’t feel upset. For my love there is no bond. Sometimes I think I love no one.
It is possible that forgiveness of something would lead to more love?
It seems to me that love is a grant. We get a certain amount and that serves us in life. I don’t think I was granted much love to give and feel.
Some people have lots of love. Some are people who have a job based on love (like some public figures). Some are rock stars who say beautiful things. Some have love on their faces and in their eyes. We easily love these people and perhaps they love us too.
In the Wizard of Oz, the tin man had no heart. I don’t think I have much of a heart either. In the end the tin man says, “the problem with hearts is that they can be broken” because he is going to miss Dorothy. In the movie I think the tin man always had a heart but he just didn’t realize it.
Not everyone has the same hearts. I still want to know what love is.
I think love just means being fond of someone or something. I used to really overthink it. But now I think it’s best to just simplify it to that.
Google definition says an intense feeling of deep affection. Actually.
I understand that the “split” in schizophrenia is a split between thinking and feeling.
I am loved and I gather I do love, but I don’t have much feeling in it.
Sorry for your loss!
I started 2 see love in the world a long time ago.
U just have to find (people) that U know will benefit your HEART in the long run.
Well said. My sentiments as well.
No, that sounds about right.
Love is in two categories
Family
Relationships.
I think I have enough respect for my family to show love, but relationships elude me
I do recognise it yes, only because I recognise it in myself… To a degree.
I don’t. Ever since the illness was diagnosed, I just can’t see any love in the world.
The US domestic news is about sharp divisions and disagreements, and outright hate. We hear every day about violence and crime on TV. The international news is usually about mutual dislike and non-forgiveness. The world does seem cold to me.
Now that we can see this problem, I know for me I am going to try to start seeing love.
When we have sz we lose some contact with others. I feel bad about this. When I brought it up I was thinking about my past and what love I missed and about the love that other people seem to have.
There is love out there and I hope we all can start to see it.
There is love in some music. There is a love story at the end of each daily news broadcast on NBC-TV news. In the US the government helps the mentally ill, and that is love.
Sz is a long hard season of life, but I do think it eventually improves.
@angledangle thank you for having the courage to say that. I think I understand.
Now a days i have to step back from overanalyzing love in myself or in others and start fresh. I work on cultivating joy just raw joy and then when I’m out and about I can naturally just be polite and respectful and non violent and then I go home and know that I did my little part on being a positive presence in the world. That’s all I can do
Looking at my kids floods my heart with love