How would you define real love?

I don't think there is a real "definition" of love. Scientifically speaking, love is a bunch of chemicals in our brains to ensure continuation of the human species by bonding two humans closely enough to be able to reproduce and raise their young.

If you're thinking along the lines of action, well, then there's definitely no clear definition. I'm sure we're all familiar with everyone's different love languages. Some are bold and explicit, while others are subtle and only lukewarm. For example, I'm more of an explicit lover, I need to tell the people I love that I love them a hundred times a day, and I need to hug them and kiss them and, you know, just do things for them. On the other hand, my boyfriend's a quieter kind of lover. He doesn't say "I love you" back as often as I'd like him too, he's sooooo bad at reassuring me that he loves me, but to him his love should be like air; it's just there. He does little things like give me the best part of the chicken, shield me from the rain, those little, seemingly insignificant things that he'd do only for me.

Love is everywhere. My favourite romcom is Love Actually, and if you haven't seen it, it starts out by showing short clips of people meeting after a long time at the airport pickup area, which actually made me tear because... it was during a time I was trying so hard to believe in the existence of love, and that just showed me love did exist. Love is everywhere. It's in the little expressions like donating money to the needy, when your colleague buys you coffee just because, when your SO cuddles with you in bed watching a good movie, or even on this site where people actively try to help others.

Love is the thread of our indispensable social fabric.

Wow, this was a really long answer. Haha! In any case, trust me when I say that you know love when you feel it. That teeny little glow in your heart that makes you smile when you think about it, you know? Everyone's in love, and everyone loves; love truly is everywhere.

You may have heard this before. This is my own personal simplified version:

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love does not dishonor others.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects.
Love always trusts.
Love always hopes.
Love always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Take each line and really try to make it happen in your life. Like, "Love keeps no records of wrongs". That's hard! But if you learn to forgive and forget. That is love! Basically, love is a healthy self-sacrafice and it is healthy when the other does the same for you. When you give up what is important to you for someone else, I think that is love. I think learning to let go. I think making someone laugh, smile or walking through tough times together is love. True love is when, at the end of a long, painful road, you both are standing side by side. That is love to me!

I hope this helps! Take care!

love is the feeling that makes you want to be a better person for the one you love

There's different kinds of love for all sorts of stuff that surround us and that we love. We might love people, of course, but in today's society you can love objects, animals, ideas or fictional situations and it's fine.

I myself think love itself is simple: the most basic feeling, the most pure and sincere love, is based on trust and faith. If you can easily say you love someone, and you can trust them, and you can be certain that investing your time in them is worthy, that's love. But love may be letting go off someone as well ('considerate' love).

Love is nothing to give or obtain, but a special way to relate to others. It's a bound between two people, not an object passed back and fourth by the mere generosity of both involved. Love is to be shared.

I also think that love can be expressed. You see, little girls usually play with plastic babies: since we're young, we're taught to give love and care and be delicate with that we love. Men, on the other hand, have different ways to express love. This, of course, is generalizing. The point is, love comes in many different ways and acts. It's not a concrete action that determines what love is.

I think that the most important thing to consider about love is that it is pure and precious, and you're lucky if you can proudly say that you experience it.

true love is when you meet someone and you feel at peace with yourself. you dont have to judge or worry about being judged, mutual trust and the sense of safety are all feelings of love

Love is an emotion. And it's a promise to keep to that emotion. It's a promise.

from a psychological point of view, there are only two emmotions- love and fear. therefore love is simply a symbol of the positive emmotion one feals, happiness, gratefulness, excitement,vigour,calmness and peace

Love is what you feel--don't stop there though, I'm actually getting somewhere, not stating the obvious. You'll know once you feel it. No one can define it for you but you. It doesn't matter how many definitions are out there. Love is a lot of things, as ChristopherRyan implies in his answer. A definition for true love will always be an understatement because it's not beautiful enough, emotional enough, and not expressive--just a bunch of words. When you feel it, you won't need a solid reason why, you won't refer to some definition, you won't restrict yourself, you won't ask if you are--you'll just know that you feel it in your heart. No answer is wrong here because it's all based on each individual's perspective. Even if you don't agree with it. Love is a complex thing to explain really. And a definition won't cover even a morsel of what true love can be. I have a friend who is in a polymorous relationship, saying, sharing love is still love, and I'm happy--that's her idea, and I won't dislike her for it because it's her kind of love, it's how she defines it and gives it. So....to end this, I'll just say, love is whatever you want it to be. And you'll think of your own definition when it happens to you :)

Thank you guys for all your answers, I really appreciated them. It is so nice to see people contemplating on this. Reading your answers really made me feel the love for humanity and the human spirit :)