Up to what extent feeling of love and affection provide energy, activeness and happiness in human life? Is there any substitute of feeling of love and affection?
One finding I recall from Martin Seligman's research is that they looked at which "character strengths and virtues" the happiest people tend to have, and they noticed that one of them was what they called "the capacity to love and be loved" - note that this is not quite the same with actually being in love or being loved, but still, a useful finding. For more about this, see the six references listed under my project "Critical geographies of health, happiness and well-being" at this link:
https://www.researchgate.net/project/Critical-geographies-of-health-happiness-and-well-being
No, there is no substitute for love and affection. It is the leading cause of true and long-lasting happiness.
Musician Eden Ahbez has been quoted as saying "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return". But I'm not sure whether it is learned behaviour. I agree that there is no substitute and think it comes without trying.
Anyone can speakmof loving someone or some object. However it is necessary to find out what set of words and deeds that constitute their understanding of love. It might be found that what they intend to share as love, which is definitely informed by how others treated them in earlier years, is quite questionable. Those who received consistently received quality caring would subsequently engage in and display acceptable moral, social, emotional and spiritual behaviors. They will be patient at all times. They would avoid making negative comments, They would always compliment qthers. They would not take comments of others personally. They would not do unto others what they would not want others to do them. They would be comfortable with themselves. They would give explanations and be willing to listen to the explanations of others. All of this would enhance their ability to care for others. If we do not have these features as part of our makeup, then we would not be able to care unconditionally for others. and as such we would not be able to love anyone despite what we might say. There is no substitute for love. Those who might have dismissed it and bury themselves in work or the enhancement of their material conditions woul always continue to experience strong feelings of emptiness.
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