All kinds of mysterious phenomena exist in this world, but answers to most of them have come with advances in scientific knowledge. Love is the sole holdout - nothing can explain it. A Chinese writer by the name of Ah Cheng wrote that love is just a chemical reaction, an unconventional point of view that seemed quite fresh at the time. But if love can be controlled and initiated by means of chemistry, then novelists would be out of a job. So while he may have had his finger on the truth, I'll remain a member of the loyal opposition.
This quote touches upon a profound and enduring mystery: love. Despite humanity's relentless pursuit of knowledge and the remarkable advances in science that demystify many aspects of our world—from the physical universe to biological processes—love resists definitive explanation. The mention of Ah Cheng's perspective—that love is merely a chemical reaction—highlights a scientific reductionism common in contemporary analysis. While biologically grounded explanations help uncover some mechanisms behind emotions, this viewpoint seems to strip away the grandeur and depth of what love means culturally, emotionally, and experientially.
If love could truly be reduced to simple chemistry, as suggested, life might seem more predictable, but it would also lose much of its enchantment. The idea that novelists—who rely so heavily on love as a source of conflict, inspiration, and resolution—would be out of work underscores the notion that love transcends the scientific narrative, residing not just in molecules but in values, choices, and human stories. The author's own allegiance to "the loyal opposition" suggests a respectful skepticism towards a purely scientific worldview that attempts to explain every human experience. Instead, love remains a fertile ground for mystery, art, and imagination—a domain where science and soul meet but science alone cannot conquer. This perspective invites reflection on the limits of reductionism and encourages embracing love as an experience that enriches life beyond empirical boundaries.