>From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>
>So, the interesting question is how long it will take before, for
>example, wealthy women are scanning prospective marriage candidates to
>see if they're *really* in love or just after the money. There could be
>an interesting business opportunity here if anyone wants to grab it.
My bet is that there will never be any definite measurable state which
constitutes "love." Love, when broken down to its elementary particles, so
to speak, will probably consist of some variable combination of sexual
attraction, a practical sense of interpersonal compatibility, an
anticipation of another person's ability to meet our various needs and
pleasurable sensations trigged by the love-object's presence (such as
reminding the love-subject of enjoyable experiences, people, places and
things).
When these variables exist in sufficient quantity and combination that the
love-subject is motivated to commit to the love-object to the exclusion of
all other potential love-objects, then I think it is safe to say that the
love-subject is "in love." I highly doubt however that this will ever be an
objectively verifiable state.
But then again, what do I know? I (a formerly avowed life-long bachelor)
met my wife while we were both down in Acapulco for a week's vacation,
immediately fell in love, convinced her to move to California and within 3
months we were married. Love, as they say, is a many spendored thing.
-Zero
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