Very good post. Thanks for sharing. I have to agree with what @rjet said...
"I believe there is SELFISH, conditional love, and then there's SELFLESS, unconditional love.
The first only cares about what it gets in return. This is not real love.
The second is not tied to receiving anything in return. It exsists reguardless of any reward. While rare, this is the only form of real love."
I think that sums up my thoughts perfectly.
Who gets to determine what is and isn't real love? Are there experts on love? Do you imply that love requires irrational behavior or it's not real?
Good point. Everyone can have their own version of love. That said, every definition of love I've ever read says that pure love is selfless. People are free to interpret that any way they choose. I've just never heard anyone define pure love as selfish. This would seem to be a contradiction. However, we are all free to have our own definitions.
Which interpretation of love do you have which is selfless? All behavior is selfish according to most theories of neuroscience and psychology I have seen.
I don't believe love is a behavior. I believe we can behave different ways because we love, but love itself is more a noun. Do some people act selfishly because they love? Sure, but that's not love. That's them making a selfish choice because they love. I've never seen any study that states love itself is selfish.