Love can be considered both a feeling and an emotion. Scientific literature suggests love is often regarded as an emotion, feeling, affective state, cluster, or emotional prototype.
Here's a breakdown:
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Emotion: From a scientific perspective, love often aligns with the definition of an emotion. Emotions are typically seen as complex, event-focused processes that involve physiological changes, cognitive appraisals, and behavioral tendencies. Love fits this description, involving a range of responses and impacting behavior.
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Feeling: A feeling is a more subjective experience, a conscious awareness of an emotion. Love, as a feeling, is the intensely personal sensation of affection, care, and connection you experience.
Therefore, love is best understood as a complex phenomenon that encompasses both feeling (the subjective experience) and emotion (the broader, more complex process). The distinction is subtle but important. The "emotion" of love gives rise to the "feeling" of love, along with associated behaviors and cognitions.
