Understanding Love

Love.

Yes, it's the word/emotion/feeling with which many people have had a love/hate relationship.

People have longed for it, fought for it, dreamed of it, died for it. They have remade themselves in its name or in its pursuit, and created great things out of the inspiration that came out of it.

Yet there are times when people have felt that they didn't get enough of it, or they didn't have enough people to whom they could give it, or enough people who would appreciate it. They've felt that it hasn't been requited, or maybe that it has been disquieting. They've felt that it has hurt, or made them crazy, or any number of other ill things.

Many of the bad sides of it appear to be selfish and inward-looking. Perhaps the problem, then, is within?

I suggest that people have a great deal of trouble with love because they do not understand love, and cannot define love (and that people also have similar trouble with relationships - on which I could write a book, and hope to eventually finish one). In order to find something, you have to be able to identify that which you seek.

So, I ask: what does it mean to love? I am interested in seeing what others say about it. Preferably in 10 words or less, and with no circular definitions. Also, I am being very intentional when I ask for a definition of the verb love ("to love").

I can answer this question. In fact, I can define it in three words (or four, if you insist on counting a hyphenated word as two). To those few with whom I have already discussed this, I ask that you respect my wishes by not listing my answer here. That will come in due time.

EDIT [2011-09-28 2348]: To be specific, when I see at least 20 suggestions or 500 visits to the post, I'll post my answer - so, please, ask your friends to consider the question, and give their own answers!