Love, by definition, is a feeling of deep love and affection.  This type of fondness, however, can mean something different for different people. 

“In my opinion, love is being able to be vulnerable with someone and know the way they feel about you will never change,” Ava Scott, sophomore, said. 

Scientifically, love is driven by attraction, lust, and hormones. With these different factors taken into consideration, attraction and attachment increase. The psychological aspect of love accompanies different types such as parental love versus romantic love.  

“It is interesting how the brain perceives love and the different factors that affect it,” Joey Didzbalis, junior, said. 

Marriage is the idea of uniting two people to become one in spending the rest of their lives together. Marriages have a variety of different success rates and motives. With marriage comes the possibility of divorce at an astounding rate of 45% in first  marriages. The divorce rate is even higher for remarriages.  

“I think it is cool how we are able to love and form valuable relationships with others. It is important to be around those you love because they can build you up and encourage you. I also think it is cool how you are able to some day marry your best friend and build a life with that person,” Olivia Richardson, senior, said. 

With relationships comes the possibility of breaking up with one’s significant other. Break ups are difficult to navigate. Break ups can abruptly halt a sense of self. Scientifically, women are stronger, emotionally, so recovering from break up is usually easier for them. 

“I believe that women can be emotionally stronger regarding break ups because they surround themselves with others and take the time to grieve over the situation while some guys decide to push down their feelings and move on,” Campbell Munsey, junior, said. 

Another piece of the puzzle is the difference between long distance and short distance relationships. Long distances have a lack of intimacy in relationships; however, the distance could help strengthen the communication in relationships. Short distance relationships have the benefit of spending quality time together due to the closeness between the two individuals, making it easier to be with each other emotionally and physically.  

“I like spending time with my girlfriend because she is like a best friend to me, and we always have fun. The benefit of living nearby is you can always hang out, and it is much easier to see each other,” Colin Pentecost, junior, said. 

Love has a many separate meanings from a variety of different perspectives. Everyone interprets love differently, but it ultimately is a necessity in life. When referring to love, there are more scientific aspects besides hormones that draw two people to one another.