Romantic love is not merely an emotion, but a fundamental biological need (similar to hunger or thirst) governed by dopamine-related brain circuits for motivation and reward.

noli's read

This fascinating perspective is based on the well-known functional brain imaging research (an fMRI observational study) by anthropologist Helen Fisher and her team (2005), conducted on individuals deeply in love. The researchers observed that viewing a photo of a partner strongly activates the ventral tegmental area and the caudate nucleus, two key zones in our dopaminergic motivation and reward circuit. These structures are indeed shared with our deep vital urges, providing a solid scientific basis for the idea that love is akin to a powerful biological drive rather than a simple fleeting feeling. Furthermore, the decrease in activity measured in areas associated with discernment and social evaluation amusingly supports the idea that love temporarily disrupts our objective judgment. Nevertheless, labeling love as an "exclusive need" rather than an emotion is primarily a debate of classification: love also mobilizes complex networks of lasting attachment, empathy, and deep social connection that go beyond the simple pursuit of immediate reward.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.