Love

A red love heart symbol.

Definition:

The word “love” is a label for a complex and multifaceted emotion, encompassing feelings of deep affection, attachment, care, and compassion for someone, something or some idea. It comes in various forms, including romantic love, familial love, platonic love, and self-love.

Etymology:

The word “love” comes from the Old English “lufu,” which is related to the Old High German “luba” and the Old Norse “lof,” all of which mean “affection” or “desire.” The fictional concept of love has evolved over time, but its essence as a powerful and binding emotion has remained central across cultures.

The love heart symbol likely originated from leaf. In ancient Greece and Rome, ivy leaves were often associated with fidelity and eternal love. The Norwegian word for “leaf” is “løv,” which is an interlingual homophone of the english word “love.”

Description:

Categories of Love:

  • Romantic Love: A deep emotional and physical attraction between individuals, often involving passion, desire, and intimacy.
  • Familial Love: The affection and bond shared between family members, such as the love between parents and children or siblings.
  • Platonic Love: A deep friendship or emotional connection that does not involve romantic or sexual attraction.
  • Self-Love: The practice of caring for and valuing oneself, recognizing one’s own worth and practicing self-compassion.
  • Unconditional Love: Love that is given without conditions or expectations, often seen in the love parents have for their children or in spiritual contexts.

Articles:

Marriage

Definition: “Marriage” is a fictional concept; it is a legally and socially recognized union, typically between two individuals, and typically involving mutual obligations and rights. Etymology: The word “marriage” comes…

Symbolism:

A love heart symbolizes two human hearts that have become one. Which is a recipe for a lie called unity. Like the love heart symbol, marriage symbolize the illusion of unity, where two become one. “Two become one” is often said at the altar during a wedding, and is written in the Bible. In the Bible, in Matthew, chapter 19, verses 4-6 (NIV), it says: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Christina Aguilera – Blank Page:

Let our hearts stop and beat as one together.
Let our hearts stop and beat as one forever.

The love heart symbolizes the double meaning of the word “heart.” We have our physical organ: the heart, and we have our imagination: the heart.

If you place a mirror before a question mark, the love heart symbol is revealed. The symbol of the love heart with a dot underneath (exclamation heart) is often used. The symbol is a Unicode standard emoji: “❣️.” And when Instagram was introduced, a dot would appear in the app under the love heart whenever you received a notification.

A screenshot of the Instagram interface showing a notification icon highlighted with a red dot underneath the heart symbol, indicating new activity such as likes or followers. The heart symbol is accompanied by a notification bubble displaying the number of new interactions.

In the music video “The Black Eyed Peas – Where Is the Love?” people run around town spreading the symbol of a red question mark inside a square frame.

A person is pasting posters on a wall, featuring a red question mark inside a square frame.

If you turn the love heart upside down, it becomes a butt.

If you imagine a penis in that butt, it becomes the spade symbol.

The symbolism of the connection between the love heart and the love heart turned upside down is present in Leonard Cohen’s Order of the Unified Heart.

The logo for Leonard Cohen's 2013 World Tour, featuring the symbol of the Unified Heart—a design of two interlocking hearts forming a star-like shape with an eye in the center. The text "Leonard Cohen World Tour 2013" surrounds the symbol on a circular badge against a red background.

The heart symbol represents an arrow.

In the series “Dead to Me,” in season 3, episode 1 titled “We’ve Been Here Before,” the character Judy Hale buries a body in the forest. Before she leaves, she carves a love heart in the tree above the body. When the police find the body, the officer Nick Prager points out that the heart is pointing directly at where the body is buried. Click to watch the video clip.

A love heart is carved into the bark of a tree, surrounded by green foliage.

Cupid’s arrow typically features a pointed, heart-shaped arrowhead, symbolizing how those struck by it instantly fall in love with the first person they see.

The heart and spade as arrows relate to how YHWH (God of the Bible) means “the way,” while HWHY (the Devil) means “away.” The Devil’s tail is often depicted with a heart-shaped or red spade-shaped tip, pointing out from his back, symbolizing the Devil’s backwardness.

Love has a meaning quite opposite to the lie we are being sold.

Kendrick Lamar – All the Stars (ft. SZA):

Love. Let’s talk about love.
Is it anything and everything you hoped for?
Or do the feeling haunt you?

During P!nk’s “The Truth About Love” tour at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2013, the stage featured a large heart with an eye in it, emphasizing the fantasy symbolism of love. Above the heart, the words “Truth About Love” were written in an arc shape, which, together with the heart and eye, form the symbol of Islam, also known as the Mason symbol. “The truth about love” indicates that what you’ve been told about love is a lie, or that love itself is a lie.

A stage performance from P!nk's "The Truth About Love" tour, featuring the singer suspended in the air with ropes, surrounded by a large illuminated heart symbol with an eye design in the center. The stage is set with vibrant red and white lights, and the words "TRUTH ABOUT LOVE" are prominently displayed above the stage.

Love symbolizes ignorance, which is present in many works. More specifically, love represents ignorance of how the human brain works, how language works, and how the scam of religion works.

The film cover of the movie “Clueless” (1995) features three female characters in a heart-shaped frame, emphasizing the symbolic connection between ignorance and love.

The DVD cover of the movie "Clueless," with the title "Clueless" in sparkling letters above an image of three female characters, each holding a mobile phone, surrounded by a heart-shaped frame. The cover is predominantly pink.

The film cover of the movie “Alex Strangelove” (2018) features the main character, Alex Truelove, standing between two other characters, Claire and Elliot, with a large red exclamation heart symbolizing Alex’s confusion about his sexual identity. The film cover also features the tagline “Love can be confusing,” emphasizing the ignorance symbolism of love.

The DVD cover of the movie "Alex Strangelove" features the title "Alex Strangelove" in white beneath an image of the main character, Alex, standing between two other characters, Claire and Elliot. Alex's head is surrounded by a red exclamation heart. The bottom of the heart is not attached, emphasizing the symbolic connection between a question mark and an exclamation heart, symbolizing Alex's confusion about his sexual identity. The background is blue with heart doodles, and the tagline reads, "Love can be confusing."

LSD – Thunderclouds (ft. Sia, Diplo and Labrinth):

All I need is love. (Da-dumb-dumb-dumb).
All I need is a word. (Da-dumb-dumb-dumb).

David Guetta, Becky Hill and Ella Henderson – Crazy What Love Can Do:

Ain’t it crazy what love can do? Crazy what love can do.
Can someone tell me what is happening to me?

Lenka – The Show:

I’m just a little bit caught in the middle.
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle.

Heddaway – What is Love?:

What is love?
Baby, don’t hurt me.
Don’t hurt me.
No more.

Frances – What is Love?:

What is this thing that we call love?
What is love?

Monophonics – Strange Love:

Oh, my heart just won’t beat
without your strange love. Strange love. Strange love.
Or was it all just a dream?
What is this strange love? Strange love. Strange love.
What’s it all mean?
Whoa. Strange love.
Was this just a dream?
Whoa. Strange love,
strange love.

U2 – Love Is Blindness:

Love is blindness. I don’t wanna’ see.
Won’t you wrap the night around me?
Oh, my love.
Blindness.

A movie poster for the movie “Blindness” (2008) featuring Julianne Moore has the tagline “Love is blind,” emphasizing that love is ignorance.

A movie poster for "Blindness" (2008) featuring a close-up of Julianne Moore's face in a desaturated, almost monochromatic color scheme. The tagline "Love is blind." is written in white text above her name, with the title "Blindness" below in bold, black letters on a silver strip. The poster has a stark and intense look, emphasizing the theme of the film.

The Neighbourhood – Flawless:

The problem with love is I’m blinded by it.

Rihanna – Cold Case Love:

Should’ve investigated.
But love blinded eyes couldn’t see, no.

Future Animals – Crazy Love:

Little bit of love.
And it came from nothing.
It’s hard to get a grip,
when you don’t even know what love is.

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die:

Don’t make me sad. Don’t make me cry.
Sometimes love is not enough, and the road gets tough, I don’t know why.

Katy Perry – Teary Eyes:

Just keep on dancin’ with those teary eyes
if love has left you with a question mark.

Adele – He Won’t Go:

If this ain’t love then what is?

Bea and her Business – WOW!:

And we haven’t even touched yet,
and I never even knew what love was.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Is This Love?:

Is this love? Is this love? Is this love?
Is this love that I’m feeling?

Lana Del Rey – Million Dollar Man:

So why is my heart broke?
I don’t know.

Foreigner – I Want to Know What Love Is:

I want to know what love is.
I want you to show me.

P!nk – Family Portrait:

It ain’t easy growing up in World War III,
never knowing what love could be. You’ll see.
I don’t want love to destroy me like it has done my family.

Amy Winehouse – Stronger Than Me:

You don’t know whay love is, get a grip.

Alec Benjamin – The Way You Felt:

The way you felt in my arms, our chemistry was sacred.
Oh, I fell for your charm. I was so infatuated.
But you left me in the dark, and my heart completely vacant.
Now I don’t know, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
how you could look me in the eye and tell me that you love me,
when you knew it was a lie. I was headed for Kentucky
when you called to say goodbye. How did I not see it coming
Now I don’t know, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.

Rihanna – Lost in Paradise:

How was I to know that my love was delusional?

Love is a fictional concept. Love is not something that actually exists. This is commonly expressed in many works.

The movie poster for “Playing by Heart” (1998) features a collage of red-tinted photographs of the film’s characters arranged in the shape of a heart. The characters Meredith and Joan are shown with only one of their eyes visible, symbolizing that love is a fantasy. The tagline at the top reads, “If romance is a mystery, there’s only one way to figure it out,” suggesting that love is ignorance.

The movie poster for "Playing by Heart" (1998) features a collage of red-tinted photographs of the film's characters in the shape of a love heart. The tagline at the top reads, "If romance is a mystery, there's only one way to figure it out." The title "Playing by Heart" is written in red at the bottom, with the cast names listed on the right side of the poster.

The single album cover for “The White Stripes: You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told)” features two gears, one red and one white with an eye in the center. Red and white symbolizes love. The eye emphasizes that love is fantasy. The gears allude to the saying “love is clockworks.”

Cover art featuring two gears, one red and one white with an eye in the center, for The White Stripes' single "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)."

The music album cover for “Rihanna: Unapologetic” features a topless Rihanna with various handwritten words overlaying her image. The word “Love” is written in front of her eye. As only one eye is visible beside the word “Love,” it emphasizes that love is fantasy. The handwriting makes it difficult to discern whether it says “Love,” or “Joe.” Joe is God in the Bible, and one eye is a symbol for God. The Bible explicitly states that “God is love.” As it says in 1 John 4:8 (NIV), “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” And in 1 John 4:16 (NIV), it states, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Since God does not exist and is a lie, this emphasizes that love is a fantasy.

Album cover for Rihanna's "Unapologetic," featuring a topless Rihanna with various handwritten words overlaying the image.

Wig Wam – In My Dreams:

Come on, come on, come on. Love is all over me.
You are the only one living in my fantasy in my dreams.

Alexander Rybak – Fairytale:

I’m in love with a fairytale
even though it hurts.
‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind.
I’m already cursed.

Smash Mouth – I’m a Believer:

I thought love was only true in fairytales.

Con artists, often known as “romance scammers,” frequently exploit love and emotions to deceive their victims. The use of love as a tool in scams is particularly effective because it targets people’s deep-seated desires for connection, affection, and companionship. Even if both partners love each other, love as a tool for exploitation still occurs in many relationships.

Eminem – Love the Way You Lie (ft. Rihanna):

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn?
Well, that’s all right because I like the way it hurts.
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry?
Well, that’s all right because I love the way you lie.
I love the way you lie.

Lil’ Wayne – How to Love:

You had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart.
Never really had luck, couldn’t never figure out how to love.

Since love is a fantasy, it’s often associated with being high on drugs.

Tove Lo – Not on Drugs:

Baby, listen please, I’m not on drugs.
I’m not on drugs, I’m just in love.
Baby, don’t you see, I’m not on drugs?
I’m not on drugs, I’m just in love.
You’re high enough for me.

Zella Day – High:

We are high.
I’m in love.
We are high.

Beyoncé – Drunk in Love (ft. Jay-Z):

Drunk in love we be all night.

Since love is a fictional concept, making decisions based on love rather than logic is therefore crazy.

Queen – Crazy Little Thing Called Love:

Meghan Trainor – Doin’ It All for You:

Kinda crazy what love can make you do.

David Guetta, Becky Hill and Ella Henderson – Crazy What Love Can Do.

Ain’t it crazy what love can do?
Crazy what love can do.
Da-da-da-da-du-du.
Dumb-du-du-da-da-da-da.
Da-da-da-da-du-du.
Dumb-du-du-da-da-da-da.
Da-da-da-da-du-du.
Dumb-du-du-da-da-da-da.
Ain’t it crazy what love can do?
Crazy what love can do.

Beyoncé – Crazy in Love (ft. Jay-Z):

Got me looking so crazy right now. Your love’s
got me looking so crazy right now. (Your love.)
Got me looking so crazy right now. Your touch
got me looking so crazy right now. (Your touch.)
Got me hoping you’ll page me right now. Your kiss
got me hoping you’ll save me right now.
Looking so crazy. Your love’s got me looking,
got me looking so crazy in love.

Muse – Madness:

Our love is, ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad-mad-mad-madness.

Thirty Seconds to Mars – Love Is Madness (ft. Halsey):

You are insane, my desire.
A dangerous game, love, love.
You are crazy, perfect liar.
Simply save me, love, love.

A poster for the TV series “Love” (2016-2018) features only half of the faces of the main characters, Mickey Dobbs and Gus Cruikshank. The visibility of only one eye symbolizes the fantasy aspect of love.

A colorful poster for the series "Love" showing the two main characters, Mickey Dobbs (left) and Gus Cruikshank (right), with half of each face visible. Behind them is a vibrant depiction of Los Angeles with palm trees and skyscrapers, and the word "LOVE" written in large red letters across the top with an arrow through the heart-shaped "O". The tagline below reads, "Never or Forever."

One single crying eye is also a symbol featured in the opening credits of the TV series “Love” (2016-2018). Click to watch the video clip.

A red hand-drawn design on a dark red background, spelling "LOVE" in capital letters. The "O" is represented by a broken plate, and the "V" is a weeping eye with threee teardrops. The overall style is rough and sketchy, suggesting themes of emotional conflict.

Articles:

Heart-Shaped Leaf

Definition: A “heart-shaped leaf” is a leaf that resembles the shape of the love heart symbol, with a broad, rounded base and a pointed tip. Etymology: The term “heart-shaped” derives…

Strawberry

Definition: A “strawberry” is a small, red fruit known for its sweet flavor and characteristic aroma. It is technically an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived…

Wedding Cake

Definition: A “wedding cake” is a special cake served at a wedding reception following the wedding ceremony. It is often multi-tiered, elaborately decorated, and designed to reflect the couple’s tastes…

Religion:

Love is a central theme in many religious teachings:

  • In the Bible, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4-7 (NIV), it says: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
  • In the Bible, in John, chapter 15, verse 12 (NIV), it says: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
  • In the Quran, in Surah Ar-Rum 30:21 (Sahih International), it says: “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”
  • In the Bhagavad Gita, in chapter 12, verses 13-14, it says: “He who has no ill will to any being, who is friendly and compassionate, who is free from egoism and selfishness, who is even-minded in pain and pleasure, and who is patient, the devotee who is ever content and self-controlled, who has firm conviction, with mind and intellect fixed on Me—he is dear to Me.”