Is it normal to think love is a state of mind?
To me, love looks like friendship. There are many elements of love. 1) You can love someone for the beauty of their body, mind or soul. 2.) You can love someone for their good qualities and care about their well being and such. 3.) Just general love for things, and their existence. Now I have been reading some books and I have been gaining knowledge about it and I am no expert. I also think that if you want to look at it in a more complex way then so be it. But it seems to me that love is just a state of mind. You experience (3) at an early age, and through interactions with things, and by gaining social experiences you arrive at (2), then you realize that some person, movie, or song expands your matrix of "love" so far that you think that you create this lottery style (1), but I think that I would like to eliminate (1) out of the equation. I mean relationships are just ways of claiming your territory in life. You love someone in a strong fashion and you want them to be more friends with you than anyone else. Thats basically what it boils down to. Its coexistence, and there is nothing wrong with that because the state of mind of being alone is painful at times, and quoting about a boy "You need 3." 3 being you, your thoughts, and someone to share them with so that life and everything in it become more memorable. It is also true that some would love their family members in the same way if it weren't looked down upon in most societies. So how and why are people trying to define what love is? It is totally subjective and it is illogical for someone to tell me what or who I can love(not saying that I agree with loving all things...just trying not to discriminate). If I buy myself a cat and I feel that my coexistence with that cat satisfies everything I need(not trying to be nasty) then so be it. We all know people who are like that, people who pour all of their "love" into their animals. I think "love" is just a way for us to feel ownership over a friend, a way for us to feel like that person is obligated to our adoration, time, and reciprocated love But I challenge you people who believe that you have experienced love to just think about whether you really "loved" that person or the idea of that person. Coexistence with that person excites your brain in such a way that you will feel anything you need to feel to trigger the act of love. A lot of depression could be avoided if we all tried to make good lasting friendships with those we love because a relationship built off "love" wont last because just as quickly as you fell in love you'll fall out as soon as that person doesn't make a strong case to your brain in the future. Look at all the relationships that last, they are built on likes, dislikes, and experiences, and all together they cruise in the love state of mind.
Basically, I just want to know if my thoughts are normal or if I'm just a person who looks at love in a weird way.