How the Brain Responds to Love

Love is a subject that has captivated philosophers, poets and songwriters for centuries. It’s also a topic that scientists are eager to explore, using advanced brain imaging technologies. Researchers have learned that when we fall in love, there is an avalanche of emotions and biological responses that change the way the brain works.

It’s not always easy to define love, but some of the key components include attraction, attachment and a complex mix of emotions. Many people think of romantic love, but there are other types as well. Some of these include platonic, familial and friendship loves. Depending on the context, some of these may even be more important than romance.

In the beginning, when you’re in a romantic relationship, your brain is overrun with chemicals that create an intense emotional response. Specifically, there is a spike in the neurotransmitter dopamine and norepinephrine. The surge in these chemicals is believed to explain why you feel so intensely about this person. Your mind is also flooded with memories of times you have spent together and why that person holds special meaning in your life.

The giddy feeling of early love can also cause you to focus on the other person and make them your priority. This is a result of the increased activity in areas of the brain involved in addiction, according to a 2017 article in Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology. Those feelings can also trigger obsessive and intrusive thoughts. This is a result of elevated levels of serotonin, another chemical messenger that can lead to addictive behaviors.

As a relationship matures, the giddy feeling tends to be replaced with a deeper commitment. The level of the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin, also known as the “cuddle hormone,” increases in your body. It is released during sex, childbirth and breastfeeding and helps cement pairings. Oxytocin also contributes to a sense of empathy and social connectedness, which can lead to a greater appreciation for the other person.

This type of love is characterized by acts of service that help the other person. It might be bringing them soup when they’re sick or taking out the trash. It is often paired with strong affection and deep loyalty, as well as respect and admiration.

A love like this can also be complicated by a lack of trust and the need for boundaries. It can evolve or diminish over time, but if you put in the work, it can also last for decades.

What Is Need?

The term need refers to a feeling that motivates people toward action in order to meet a goal or achieve an objective. It can also refer to a physical requirement that must be fulfilled. In psychology, the concept of need is closely associated with the psychological theory developed by Abraham Maslow. His theory is based on the notion that humans have a hierarchy of psychological needs, from basic physiological or lower-order needs such as food and water through to higher-order needs such as belonging and self-actualization. In other words, human beings spend a great deal of their time and resources attempting to satisfy these lower-order needs, before the higher-order needs become meaningful.

In this context, the word need is distinguished from want, which is a desire that can be satisfied without much effort. The difference between a need and a want is that a need must be fulfilled for a person to function normally. A lack of meeting a need causes a negative outcome, such as illness or death. A need is therefore an essential component of life, whereas a want is something that could be deferred or even foregone.

Need is also used to describe an internal state of being that is required for a person to function well in society. The authors of the Doyal-Gough Theory suggest that every individual possesses a set of fundamental requirements for living as a human being, including mental health and personal autonomy. These requirements are independent of a person’s cultural background and can be considered universal across individuals. A person’s ability to fulfil these requirements is dependent on his or her internal assets, which can include cognitive skills and opportunities for participation in societal decision-making.

A person’s level of need is influenced by the messages he or she receives about money throughout his or her life. If a person receives positive and consistent messages about the role of money in a fulfilling life, then he or she may have clarity about what is important to him or her with regard to financial well-being. On the other hand, a person whose upbringing includes examples of money dysfunction or arguments between parents with divergent money views may have more confusion about what is most important for financial security.

In the business world, marketers often use the phrase need to describe a demand for a product or service. For example, a company might advertise that its product meets a client’s need to make their advertising campaigns more effective.

Journalists often write news stories with a user needs approach, which involves identifying a need in the audience and highlighting it within the story. This technique can help to increase the relevance of a news item and attract readers’ attention. It can also increase the readership of a newspaper, magazine or website and improve brand loyalty. A news needs approach is a type of heuristic analysis, which is a form of qualitative research that attempts to identify a key factor in behavior.