The notion of love as “mystery” is so ingrained in the human imagination, it may be our oldest cliché. Plato called it “irrational desire.” Cole Porter seemed to speak for most of us when he threw up his hands and, in a kind of musical sigh of resignation asked, “What is this thing called love?” In his classic song, a person describes being content, even if leading a “humdrum” life, until love mysteriously “flew in,” changed everything, and made “a fool of me.” How much control do we have over love? Much less than we like to think. All that mystery, all that poetry, all those complex behaviors sur­rounding human … Continue reading Larry Young, Brian Alexander