Do you need love to be complete in life?

It depends what you want from life. If you don't want love, then it's not going to kill you. I, on the other hand, do, so I'd be incredibly disappointed if I didn't find it at least once in my life where it was reciprocated You have to ask yourself if you really don't want love though. I mean, do you honestly feel as though you could last for the rest of your life with no one, no friends, not even platonic love? It seems like a dark existence, but if that's what one wants...

 

Yes, everybody needs to love someone and to be loved. And you're just depressed.

 

Yes, everybody needs somebody to love and needs somebody to love them back; it's just human nature. However, everybody doesn't need to be together.

 

Yes. :l

 

Back when I was deep into depression, I always thought "I don't need love or a partner or anything like that, I'll just live my life alone since I hate people anyway." yet I've always felt incredibly lonely over the past 5 years that I've spent pretty much all alone, and as much as I tried to deny it, I really missed other people, I missed being physically close to somebody, and above all else I missed being appreciated/loved and loving other people as well.

I don't think the human race could survive without love.

 

I'm perfectly content with food ,sleep and oxygen...oh and my dog

 

I think everyone needs love.
But I mean that everyone needs a type of agape love, rather than that everyone needs an Eros love to be complete.

 

I don't think there is anyone who would feel comfortable with the idea of dying lonely and unloved. So yeah, everyone needs love.

 

I haven't got the slightest idea. Never had love, and I honestly wouldn't know how to recognise completeness.

 

I want to experience love so bad. I'd need just one person who loved me and I them and I'd be set.

 

love is, apparently, the greatest thing known to man, but to what extent is man in control of love?

 

This is a hard one for me. I've had this conversation with my roommate on several occasions. He really wants me to meet someone and is convinced that I won't be truly happy if I don't.

I feel that I already met and shared a large percentage of my life with my true soul-mate. He was only 38 when I lost him and I was 42. I still cannot imagine that I would find that twice in my life. I haven't "been" with anyone since then and I haven't been on anything close to a date. I really feel that I will be alone for the rest of my life.

So the answer, for me, is complicated. On the one hand, I will probably be alone for the rest of my life. On the other, I had 11 years of true love so I'll go to my grave with that memory. I suppose that fulfills the "complete life" thing.

 

I'm not 100% sure if love is extremely necessary, but if I was alone and unloved (which I am), I sure as hell would much rather die young, than live a long, pointless life.

 

I think interpersonal fulfillment is more necessary than love. No man/woman is an island. A person can live a quality life if they surround themselves with affirming family and friends.

 

I feel incomplete because I have never loved someone yet I liked someone a lot never loved.

 

Well, married men are shown to live longer lives, have lower risks of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, lung disease, fight off depression easier, have lower stress levels, are in better financial shape, among others... this goes for heterosexual men in long-term relationships, though, and the benefits seem to go towards them, primarily. I wonder what this means for a married gay couple?

 

It depends on the person, but personally I feel very strongly that having someone in my life would be one of the things I need to feel complete, though I don't think love in itself would complete me.

 

Aww. Dogs. :love:

Currently, I do not have the love of a partner, but I have a wonderful family so things are chill.

 

As with most such questions, there's no universal answer.

It depends really on what kind of love you mean. For most people, I imagine having the platonic love of friendship and community is vital to their lives. I don't think I'd say the same about erotic love. I know many people of different ages who aren't in romantic relationships and have no plans for one yet are really happy and productive in their day-to-day lives. It really depends on the person.

Other people can exist with barely any human contact, not just surviving but relishing their isolation. I'm not religious but I would imagine that many of the monks and hermits out there in the world probably find their 'spiritual' pursuits to be the most satisfying aspect of their life.

In my opinion, it's down to the individual's priorities. Certainly, you should never lose sleep about failing to follow some arbitrary plan or checklist. Do what feels best for you.