“I love you.” What does that really mean? The definition of love is: An intense feeling of deep affection. Many of us learn about this deep feeling through the media and come to believe that love has the amazing power to make everything perfect. However, according to the American Psychological Association, about 40-50 percent of American marriages end in divorce. So, what exactly is love?

It has always been captivating to see someone in plays and movies and on TV who is in love and to watch the trials and errors. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a good example of a story showing how lovers go through obstacles together and try to love each other, even though society does not allow them to. Jump ahead 300 years to watch the lovers in Hairspray show how love can be hard to achieve when people are judged by their looks and not by their affection.

In Season 9, the TV show The Office shows how Jim and Pam Halpert’s love life goes through obstacles, but in the end, they both are able to sacrifice for each other and as Jim says, “ Dwight, listen: no matter what happens, you gotta forget about all the other stuff. You gotta forget about logic and fear and doubt. You just gotta do everything you can to get to the one woman who’s gonna make all this worth it. At the end of the day, you gotta jump. You love Angela, Dwight. I think you always have.”

Some of us have experienced love and have felt the exhilarating feeling that comes along with it, by why do we feel that way? The website Youramazingbrain.com tells that that there are several indications when love or feelings of attractions occur. For instance, happiness along with love comes when there are high levels of dopamine in the neurotransmitter. Serotonin also plays a key feature in love; it also explains why you continue to think of your lover. Additionally, adrenaline is a very powerful and the most noticeable of the factors; it causes sweating, higher heart rate and drying of the mouth.

“I love you,” such powerful words to express this feeling; however, statistics show that one gender says it sooner than later. According to a study reported on DailyMail.com, men are 39 percent more likely to say “I love you” than women who say it first only 22 percent of the time. Also, in the first three months of dating, 77 percent of men remember the first time they said “I love you,” whereas, only 25 percent of women remember. Statistics also show that people between 18-24 are slowest when getting to holding hands and kissing.

Love is very important in many people’s lives and understanding this complex feeling can help you understand yourself and the people around you. It will also come in handy on Valentine’s Day.