[Twisted]

I waded through this topic and I have to say, I don't agree with either of you (iPhantom and JasonTakeshi).

Let's go back to the whole parent/child thing.

If a family finds itself in a life-treating situation parents will save their kids. Because they love them? Yes. Because they couldn't deal with the emotions cause by the loss? Maybe. Because of selfish motivation? Most likely; yes.

JasonTakeshi stated (loosely quoted here) that the human species drive is not to feel negative emotions. Well, it's a innate behaviourism to seek happiness. Your parents teach you that in your upbringing. It's not nature, its nurture. The main drive of any species, from amoebae to whale is one thing: to survive and pass along it's genetic information. Darwinian law so to speak.

Going back to the situation where a family's life is in danger a parent responds by saving the kids. a) because the want them to survive b) because they love them. A parents core instinct is to insure the survival of its children. This is called love, it is defines as love, but it's also instinct.

So, my (new) argument is the following: Love is neither selfish nor selfless. It relies on drives and instincts. Love is a natural drive that is paired with strong drives and emotions that dictate our every day lives.