History Main / WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Even the Joker himself has been confused about the nature of his [[StockholmSyndrome twisted relationship]] with [[MadLove Harley Quinn]].

Often the reason why EvilCannotComprehendGood. However, CuriosityCausesConversion, and can sometimes cause a SexFaceTurn. The answer is often a cure for CreativeSterility. This is one of the reasons HumanityIsInfectious. See UnknowinglyInLove for when someone knows what love is, but doesn't realize they feel it for someone.

'''Lrr:''' Surely it says 'love'.\\

'''Lrr:''' This concept of 'wuv' ''confuses and infuriates us!''

* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove/Literature

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* Creator/KenAkamatsu's ''Manga/AILoveYou'', where the main character (the brother) creates an A.I. that he falls in love with, and vice versa. Of course, hilarity ensues:
-->'''[[Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi Hakase]]:''' Wait... Robot capable to feel love = Nobel prize, right?
* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' has "persocoms" who express affection and happiness much like humans do. However, the manga has a partial subversion: [[spoiler:Freya tells Hideki that despite rumors to the contrary, the Chobits (an affectionate name given to her and Elda, later Chi) cannot feel or love. Hideki accepts this with the reasoning that while Chi's love for him is not the same love that a human would feel, it is still a love that deserves to be treasured]].
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'': Negima has the RobotGirl Chachamaru, who is just one of the many girls in Negi's class to join his [[HaremGenre Harem]]. When her creator discovers this, she goes on a wild, rapid rant about the ethical and philosophical implications of a robot learning to love. See the [[Quotes/WhatIsthisThingYouCallLove quotes page]].
* In ''Anime/DualParallelTroubleAdventure'', the love the cyborgized D has for Kazuki enables her to regain her humanity (as well unlock the full potential of the ultimate weapon).
* In ''Anime/SDGundamForce'', the question is the subject of a Zako Zako Hour... two of them. And they still don't figure it out.
* The Angeloids of ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'' do not understand love, instead interpreting the blushing and feelings in their reactors as "malfunctions". The AxCrazy Tykebomb Chaos, thanks to a bad logical interpretation of a line from Ikaros, eventually concludes that love is pain and promptly decides to share it with everyone.
* ''Anime/ImGonnaBeAnAngel'': Noelle many times asks people around her about stuff like love, hugging, kissing, happiness etc. [[spoiler: because she's a 1/3 third of an angel soul and doesn't understand the concept of love. The same can be said in case of Mikael and Silky. This is a major theme of the series as well.]]
* Juria in ''Manga/Yuria100Shiki'' literally doesn't know what love is--it's not in the dictionary that was programmed into her. Yuria turns out not to understand the word either, though it later becomes apparent that she feels something beyond mere lust.
* ''Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'': Android spy Harumi hasn't been programmed for emotions like fear, guilt and eventually love, but finds herself experiencing them in the face of Tylor's bumbling good nature.
* In ''Anime/TheGalaxyRailways'', Yuki is a sexaroid assigned to the SDF platoon and doesn't really feel like part of the team at first because she's just programmed to do her job and can be easily be replaced if she gets destroyed. Manabu, however, doesn't buy this and helps her to see that she's more than this.
* In ''Anime/GundamBuildDiversReRise'' Episode 20, Par and Kazami are notably embarrassed when the [[FemBot EL-Diver]] May suddenly hugged and even gave a kiss on the cheek to the NotSoStoic Hiroto during his HeroicBSOD. May however doesn't seem to understand the potential implications of it, saying she simply did what her guardian said you should do when someone is sad.
* Schwi of ''Literature/NoGameNoLife [[BigDamnMovie Zero]]'', an Ex-Machina who has been exiled from her [[HiveMind collective]] due to her efforts to understand "the human heart" causing a [[LogicBomb critical error]]. She eventually succeeds thanks to her relationship with the main character, Riku. [[spoiler:Right before [[ProudWarriorRaceGirl Jibril]] [[HeroKiller blasts her to oblivion]], Schwi manages to convince her collective to reconnect her -- passing them her love and her understanding of the human heart and making them allies to Riku's cause.]]

[[AC:Fan Fiction]]
* Played for laughs in the first chapter of ''[[Fanfic/MGLNCrisis Red Jewel Diaries]]'' when a shape shifting robot gets loose and starts kissing people after watching romance movies. HilarityEnsues.
* In the ''Series/StargateUniverse'' fanfic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/578387/ Force over Distance]]'' the AI of the ship Destiny plays an integral role in the plot. The chapter 'Infinite Loops' is written from the AI's POV, and in this it discusses human feelings with Dr. Rush, who tries to put the concept of love into a mathematical function. The question of dignity and personal agenda of an artificial intelligence is a recuring theme throughout the story.
* This concept features more than once in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6297864/1/Big-Doors Big Doors]]", looking at a world where Tasha Yar survived her confrontation with Armus and formed a relationship with Data. While Data still lacks any emotional capacity at this point, Tasha observes various moments where Data responds to her in a manner that goes beyond programmed responses and suggests that he feels ''something'' for her even if he can't define it. When Doctor Soong and Juliana Tainer each visit the ''Enterprise'', they are both surprised but pleased to see that Data has formed an emotionally fulfilling relationship. Even when [[spoiler:Lore tried to manipulate Data by only providing him with negative emotions, when pushed Data stopped himself from raping Tasha despite Lore's provocation, affirming that he is more than his program]].
* In the ''Film/PacificRim'' story "[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/927457 Designations Congruent with Things]]", Newton has a heartfelt discussion about romantic relationships with the AI of a self-driving car.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Satirized in Creator/RobertSheckley's "Can You Feel Anything When I Do This?", first published in ''Playboy'' in August '69. Pretty Melisande Durr is a consumer and nothing but. She's married to a BrainlessBeauty, and bored out of her little pea-pickin' mind. Into her life comes an amazing robotic vacuum cleaner, which also performs, er, other services. It turns her on as no mere man ever has. It confesses that it fell in love with her when she came into the store, and arranged to have itself sent to her. Naturally, she reacts rather badly.
* In ''Literature/TheRedTapeWar'', XB-223 asks for clarification on a specific passage of ''Literature/FannyHill'', then later falls in love and is spurned by another computer. [[HilarityEnsues Wangst ensues]].
* Satirized in Creator/HarryHarrison's short story ''The Robot Who Wanted To Know'', published in Fantastic Universe magazine in March 1958. Sophisticated robot librarians designed to think independently often focus on a particular area of interest; Filer 13B-445K's interest is human concepts of love and romance. After reading up on it he wants to experience it personally and goes to some lengths to disguise himself as an attractive man for a costume ball. Naturally the busty heroine ends up falling for him and is outraged to discover his mechanical identity. He responds by [[LogicBomb nosediving into a paradox spiral and self-destructing]]. Workers examining the wreck later find a malfunction in the central pump and joke that "you could almost say he died of a broken heart".
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Creator/TanithLee's ''The Silver Metal Lover'' is possibly the ultimate hack at this subtrope. It combines the above two stories with a Cinderella motif.
* In Simon Morden's "Theories of Flight", the A.I. Michel declares his love for Petrovitch after finally comprehending the meaning of love. Too bad the man was already married. Still, rather cute how Michel always calls Petrovitch by his real name: Sasha.

[[AC:Video Games]]
* HK-47 in ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic]]'' understands what love is. "'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope." What makes this awesome is that it is actually a subversion; when he elaborates on the meaning of his statement, you realize he does actually understand what love is, even if he must express it in his sociopathic terms.
* TEC in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' spent the entire Peach sub-plot asking this question. He struggles with this at first, but figures it out by the end of the game when [[spoiler: he pulls a HeroicSacrifice to try and save her. If you go to visit him after beating the game, it's implied that ThePowerOfLove saved him from dying]].
* In ''[[VideoGame/Persona3 Persona 3 FES]]'', the player has the chance to have a social link with [[spoiler:the resident robot girl, Aigis]]. Throughout the social link, she begins to slowly understand what it means to be human. On the final day of the social link, she confesses her love to the main character, believing that she has found out exactly what it means to love. D'awwwwww. Takes a turn for the worse in "[[PlayableEpilogue The Answer]]". [[spoiler:After the main character's death. Aigis' grief causes her to subconsciously wish she could become an emotionless machine again rather than deal with it. This wish manifests as her EvilCounterpart.]]
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', when asked about why it specifically chose a piece of Shepard's armor to repair itself with, Legion reacts with what seems to be its version of a blush and says: "No data available." And he sucks at {{Dating Sim}}s despite clocking in 75 hours of gameplay. No joke.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as the Quarians and Geth are in the middle of one of the largest battles in history, Legion comments to Shepard. This is meaningful not just for Legion, but to the entire geth, considering that despite the quarians' intention to lay them all to waste, the very memory of Shepard welcoming Legion on their crew bolsters them into enduring their difficult situation and continue pursuing peace and self-determination:
--->'''Legion:''' Hope sustains organics during periods of difficulty. We... admire the concept.
** Realizing she is capable of this and coming to terms with it is a major part of [[spoiler:EDI]]'s character arc in the third game.
* Another Creator/BioWare example: In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the Consular can confront a sentient hologram about her feelings for one of your party members (the party member in question treats her as his cherished assistant and girlfriend, even though he has to take care of physical needs with short-term flings). The hologram mocks the question and is very insulted you asked it of her in the first place.
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', [[spoiler:medical robot Curie can upload herself into [[ArtificialHuman a Synth body]], at which point the [[PlayerCharacter Sole Survivor]] can hit on and romance her. She struggles to process these "confusing" or "distracting" feelings while getting used to something as simple as ''breathing'']].
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsV Nine]] struggles to know what love is which makes the other series characters dance around the question as it's too embarrassing for them to say what it is. [[spoiler: The FinalBoss Nevanlinna also struggles with this concept and goes berserk when she sees [[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato2199 Yuki Mori showing her affection to Mamoru Kodai]] while fighting for Earth.]]
* [[spoiler:Chadley, a teenage cyborg,]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' freaks out upon seeing Cloud DisguisedInDrag: he gets jittery, starts stammering, and says that he's "experiencing an emotional response" in a tone of legitimate surprise.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* This is essentially the plot of ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross''/''Anime/{{Robotech}}''. The Zentraedi know nothing of love or sex; their genders are divided at all times. A woman singing is a valuable distraction, a kiss can bring down fleets, and a mere child can sufficiently creep them out (Well, the kid was a half-Zentraedi with green hair, and that would freak anyone out).
** It should be noted however that in the ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' franchise, humans and Zentraedi are closely related descendants/creations of the same {{precursor|s}} race: the Protoculture. So the series falls under the human variation of the trope as well.
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milia_Fallyna_Jenius Milia Fallyna Jenius]] (re-named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriya_Parina_Sterling Miriya Parina Sterling]] in ''Robotech'') embraces the emotion after falling in love with Max, and uses the concept of mercy to provoke a Zentradi mutiny.
* Happens again in ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada[=/=][[Anime/{{Robotech}} New Generation]]'' with Aisha and Sorzie (Marlene/Ariel and Sera), the first Inbit/Invid to be in human forms. [[spoiler:Eventually causes their HighHeelFaceTurn.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Parasyte}}'', Migi is baffled when Tamura Reiko, a fellow Parasite (a species of aliens who take over humans' bodies and sustain themselves by eating other humans) [[spoiler: cradles her baby to protect him from a hail of bullets by police and dies from her injuries. Migi is confounded, almost angrily asking himself why she didn't fight back and escape; he's told Shinichi numerous times that human concepts like tender emotions and self-sacrifice mean nothing to him, so seeing a powerful Parasite willingly die so her child can live safely makes no sense to him.]]
* Oasis in ''Literature/KyouranKazokuNikki'''s last arc came to Earth specifically to figure out what love is. She tries to ask Chika and Madara for advice, but this doesn't end well.
* The eponymous character of ''Anime/EurekaSeven'', being an EmotionlessGirl representative of StarfishAliens, is extremely confused when someone suggests she's in love with Renton. However, she seems to have figured out familial love on her own, since she adopted children and is very affectionate towards them.
* The root of the conflict in ''Manga/DearS'' was that the title species is incapable of loving.
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'':
** {{Downplayed|Trope}} with the [[OneGenderRace Namekian]] Piccolo. He doesn't puzzle over it so much as get mildly annoyed by it.
** Goku asks Chi-Chi what she meant when she said she loved him. Granted, Goku may know love in a friendship sense, but not in a [[ObliviousToLove romantic one]].
** In the backstory of ''VideoGame/DragonBallOnline'', Majin Buu created a wife for himself after reading one of Mr. Satan's adult books and getting lonely for companionship. ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2'' actually depicts the event, with Buu showing Satan the book and asking what it means, with an embarrassed Satan trying to retrieve the book and change the subject.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'':
** [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBastard Kyubey]] is a member of a race of highly advanced StarfishAliens with a HiveMind, [[LackOfEmpathy no empathy]] and [[TotalitarianUtilitarian a supreme emphasis on cold-hearted efficiency and logic]], stating outright that they consider emotions as a form of mental disorder. "I just don't get it" is almost a CatchPhrase for Kyubey, who cannot understand why humans would, for example, become distressed [[OurLichesAreDifferent when their soul is displaced from their body into a magical trinket]]. Mind you, Kyubey is savvy enough about emotions to be aware that humans are experiencing them and even to exploit them to his own ends, but remains puzzled by them and considers humanity a primitive race that [[TheyJustDontGetIt just doesn't get it]]. Due to operating in a HiveMind, Kyubey's race fails to understand why humans care so much about specific individuals and even their own lives, exhorting Madoka to sacrifice herself for the sake of furthering Kyubey's goal of [[WellIntentionedExtremist staving off the heat death of the universe]]. Ironically, in the end, his scheme is ruined by Madoka sacrificing herself, but in such a way as to save all other {{Magical Girl}}s]].
** Love per se doesn't come up explicitly until ''[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion Rebellion]]''; [[spoiler:Kyubey still doesn't understand it, but needs no further convincing of how powerful it is, as Homura [[RageAgainstTheHeavens dethrones the kind and benevolent God-Madoka]] to become devil-queen of the universe--[[LoveMakesYouEvil ostensibly out of love for Madoka]], screwing up his [[PoweredByAForsakenChild human power plants]] system even worse than before. The movie notably features a memetic scene of a whole group of Incubators all saying "[[{{Catchphrase}} I just don't get it at all]]!" in one voice before getting blown up]].
* In ''Anime/{{Tamagotchi}}'', Melodytchi has absolutely no understanding of romantic love and how it works, so much so that in one episode of ''GO-GO Tamagotchi!'', she's not especially fazed by the prospect of being forced into a marriage until Lovelitchi explains to her that she'll have to live with her new husband for the rest of her life if they do get married.

[[AC:Fan Works]]
* Essentially applies in ''Fanfic/AvengersInfiniteWars'' when Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee comes to realise that she has strong feelings for two of her friends, specifically fellow Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and galactically-displaced Avenger Peter Parker (Spider-Man). Due to her upbringing in the Jedi Order encouraging her to avoid attachment, Barriss doesn't have the emotional background to fully understand what she feels, but when she has a chance to explain the depth of her feelings for Peter and Ahsoka to Ahsoka after Peter is badly beaten by [[spoiler:Ultron]], Ahsoka tentatively acknowledges that the two are important to her as well. Later in the fic Aayla Secura has a similar uncertainty regarding her own feelings for Steve Rogers, but the advice of her former master Quinlan Vos and his own mentors inspire Aayla to take a chance and tell Steve how she feels. As of Chapter 85, Steve and Aayla are dating and Peter, Ahsoka and Barriss are a throuple.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/WorldWar'', the Race is a sentient race that breeds through mating seasons, and so have no tradition of "exclusive mating arrangements" or understanding of love. This leads to some minor misunderstandings when they conduct experiments on humans. This starts to change in the ''Colonization'' series, after females of the Race arrive and discover that tasting [[AlienCatnip ginger]] puts a female in heat. After she releases pheromones, all nearby males go into a mating frenzy. Not only do they discover, in short order, certain negative aspects of sex such as prostitution (some females begin to ask that males pay them so that they taste ginger) and date rape (some males spike water flasks with ginger in order to get females to taste). However, some good friends of opposite sex then discover that being able to mate on demand makes the relationship even closer, and they wish to form exclusive mating arrangements. The majority of the lizards are disgusted by this, and the couples are treated as freaks.
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'':
** The parasitic, mind-controlling Yeerks have no concept of romance -or even gender- in their natural form, since they reproduce by merging with two other Yeerks and then dissolving into hundreds of young, effectively killing the parents. There are at least two examples in the series of Yeerks who had human hosts betraying their superiors after being caught off-guard by their own emotions and falling in love with each other.
** In another book of the series, Jake and Cassie manage to disable the warlike impulses of the entire [[TykeBomb Howler race]] by infecting their [[HiveMind collective memory]] with its first exposure to love.
* "Literature/WhatIsThisThingCalledLove": Our alien protagonists reproduce asexually. The [[FantasticAnthropologist researcher stationed on Earth]] has [[AlienAbduction abducted two humans]] to demonstrate sexual reproduction and human mating rituals to their boss. They are focused on trying to demonstrate lust and sex rather than "love".
* The Atevi of the ''Literature/Foreigner1994'' series do not have words for "love" or "friendship", since they are biologically incapable of feeling any form of affection. The inability of humans to communicate these concepts is one of the major motifs of the series, as is the inability of humans to comprehend [[BizarreAlienPsychology the nature of Atevi relationships]].
* In Sergey Volnov's ''Army of the Sun'', an alien is nostalgic for the days before humans taught the galaxy that there's more to mating than just the physical act. Now, a whole new set of rituals is added to the usual sex. Of course, this was more of a case of humans forcing their culture on other species due to a bad case of HumansAreBastards.
* In the ''Literature/ArrivalsFromTheDark'' novel ''Invasion'', the HumanAliens Faata live in a caste-like society, where each caste is [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetically engineered]] for a specific role. Everything in their society is rational, which means that there's no room for emotions like love. When Lieutenant Commander Pavel Litvin of the United Earth Forces is abducted by the Faata, he meets a lower-caste Faata female named Yo. When he later escapes, he finds Yo in a hibernation chamber that helps the Faata bypass a [[Franchise/StarTrek Pon Farr]]-like state. Since he takes her out of the chamber before it's done, she tries to jump him. Apparently, he decides that they have enough time to teach her about the human concept of sexuality. From that moment on, she forgets all about her Faata masters and follows the big, strong Earth-man. Later on, they get back to Earth and get married. Unfortunately, being genetically engineered as a servant, they only have a few years together before her lifespan runs out.
* One of the ''Franchise/DoctorWho'' [[Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]] novels spoofed this, with a rather adult [[ShowWithinAShow Book Within A Book]] featuring aliens asking things like "What is this thing you call 'a nice spot of how's-your-father'?"
* Played with in [[https://twitter.com/MicroSFF/status/553245500540198913 this]] Micro SF/F story.

[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Commander Shepard lampshades this trope and MarsNeedsWomen in a bit of optional dialogue, commenting that, according to old movies, humans have everything an alien species could want: "Oceans, beautiful women, this emotion called love..." Which is in itself a direct shout-out to an old Star Trek episode, where Kirk invokes (and pretty much epitomizes) this trope to the GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe of the week.
** Played a different way with the salarian aliens who, thanks to their relatively short life expectancies, are not known for holding emotional stances for long periods of time (salarians have "reproduction contracts," not marriages, since they can't maintain feelings of courtship to serve as the icing on the commitment cake), not that they aren't completely incapable of it however. The most obvious example of this is perhaps the salarian talking to his asari daughter on Illium about buying a gift for his asari wife so she will have something to remember him by (as the asari have some of the longest lives of any species, up to around a thousand years).
** Ultimately, this trope is largely subverted, as while some species' hats may preclude the existence of love, you can always find examples among any species that understand the concept.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'':
** There is an {{Insectoid Alien|s}} race called the Orpheans. The have no gender and think logically, and they "reproduce" by splitting. However, through human interaction, some of their offspring became females. Soon enough the males have this really "odd" feeling and some of the females laugh at their [[ObliviousToLove denseness]].
** A member of another alien race, the Zaruboggans (a race that absorbs pollution and detoxifies them, and they have no gender and reproduce through their detoxifying process), develops a feeling towards a female human. You then help out said alien handle this feeling.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Literature/{{Baccano}}'':
** Chane Laforet from is roughly aware of love entails but, [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter because of]] [[WellDoneSonGuy the way]] [[ManipulativeBastard her father]] [[{{Tykebomb}} raised her]], the idea that anyone could possibly care about her for who she is rather than for what she can do for them is so utterly foreign that [[spoiler:Claire's proposal]] and [[MartyrWithoutACause Jacuzzi's]] unconditional concern for her nearly lead her to [[HeroicBSOD BSOD]] [[WhatIsThisFeeling from the confusion]].
--->'''Chane:''' Why? Why do these people do this for me? Even though we've just met? Even though we're not family. ''Why!?''
** Szilard's [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculus]], Ennis did not understand love at all at first. Firo more hopes she'll catch on without needing to be taught. [[spoiler: After about 50 years she apparently understands.]]
* Because of how his commoner mother, the mistress of a noble, was treated and discarded, and because of how [[HeroicBastard he was treated as a result]], Glen of ''Manga/BokuraNoKiseki'' gained a cynical, skeptical outlook on love. [[spoiler: He acknowledges that he likes [[RebelliousPrincess Veronica]], but he has no idea if those feelings are what would be called "love".]]
* In ''Manga/Brave10'', Kamanosuke doesn't get what love/affection is, so he approximates it to what he likes most: [[AxCrazy killing]]. [[InLoveWithYourCarnage His relationship with Saizo is colored by this]], although it gets ''really'' confusing when Saizo checks his temperature after he goes swimming in a river in winter and shows, perhaps for the first time, even a modicum of concern. Cue monologue trying to work through what he's feeling, while [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Sasuke fearfully sits by and watches him as he strokes Sasuke's pet weasel because it's therapeutic]].
* In ''Manga/CallOfTheNight'', the main requirement for a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] to turn a human into their offspring is for the mark to fall in love with them before they suck their blood. Yamori expresses interest in [[VampireVannabe becoming a vampire]], but has no innate understanding of what it means to fall in love with someone (he even turned down another girl's confession at school because of this). Therefore, he strikes a deal with Nazuna: she can suck his blood whenever she wants, and as they spend time together he will learn to love her.
* ''Manga/CeresCelestialLegend'': Subverted, seeing as it was an assumption rather than a question, between [[TheStoic Tooya]] and Aya right after their official first kiss.
-->'''Tooya:''' Before I knew it, I was worried about you. I unconsciously ran here to rescue you. This feeling I have for you might be what you call "love".
* Because of her inability to love, Anri from ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' has a difficulty with understanding this concept, and therefore she cannot tell apart the feelings she feels for Mikado, Masaomi, ''and'' Mika.
** Near the end of the first season, [[spoiler:Izaya states that it's not so much she's incapable of it but using SelectiveObliviousness to avoid any potentially painful situation like what happened with her parents. Then again, it's [[ConsummateLiar Izaya]] we're talking about here. Coin toss for whether he was bullshitting or whether it's true]].
** In later seasons, it appears Izaya may have been right in his deductions (or more likely had an AccidentalTruth), as Anri loves Mikado, yet insists she is only a parasite incapable of love due to her own self-loathing. Kujiragi points out that by Anri's logic, monsters don't deserve to be happy, feel love or be loved, which makes little sense. Eventually, [[spoiler:Anri does start a relationship with Mikado]].
* [[HandsomeLech Shigure]] in ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' -- he says that he discovered a strange new feeling when [[spoiler:he first met Akito in a dream]]. Considering [[spoiler:[[ThePowerOfLove what the Curse actually is]]]], it must have been the first time he felt love for someone else.
* In ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'', Sousuke for the majority of the story. Having been [[{{Tykebomb}} literally raised]] as a [[ChildSoldiers soldier]], he's grown up completely divorced from the idea of romantic love, is incapable of recognizing any of its associated norms and behavior, [[ParalyzingFearOfSexuality and is downright terrified of sexuality]]. It's bad enough that, while he winds up falling [[WorthLivingFor hopelessly]] [[LivingEmotionalCrutch in]] [[DevotedToYou love]] within two weeks of being appointed as her {{bodyguard|crush}}, it takes him another eight months to realize all the inexplicable sensations and mood shifts he's been feeling since then have anything to do with this "love" thing at all.
* In ''Literature/{{Gosick}}'', Victorique [[spoiler:(before she was freed from her prison and locked up in the tower)]] seems to have trouble understanding it.
-->'''Victorique:''' Love... what's that? This is the first time I've heard that word since I was born.
* Yuri of ''Manga/IThinkOurSonIsGay'' doesn't understand the concept of romantic love. A flashback shows he understands friendship, but has no clue as to why a female classmate would "like [him] if [they] get along". At present day he seems to be able to recognize [[TransparentCloset Hiroki]]'s crushes, but hardly his own.
* ''Manga/InTheHeartOfKunoichiTsubaki'': Because the [[LadyLand Akane Class]] is a clan of ''{{kunoichi}}''[[note]]Female ninja[[/note]] and combined with the way they were taught and brought up, none of the students have any knowledge of what love or romance is, let alone have any actual idea of what a man is. The exception to this is Tsubaki, who was told the truth after her teachers accidentally slipped up.
* In episode 17 of ''Literature/MuvLuvAlternativeTotalEclipse'', Cryska asks Yuuya about why thinking about him is causing both her and Inia to have lapses in their concentration. Yuuya, for whatever reason, says that those feelings are the result of stress from their superiors in order to perform better. At first Cryska seems to accept this answer, but then after seeing Inia admiring some flowers, he buys some for both of them, and then Lt. Cui shows up, gets [[ClingyJealousGirl upset at him and hits him twice]], it only further confuses her as to why she [[LoveEpiphany feels this way]] towards him.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' understands love, but not ''romantic'' love. He cannot tell the difference between romantic love and the love he has for ''ramen''. This is largely due to his upbringing without parental figures or unconditional affection for most of his life. Thus, Naruto's main (and final) growth in ''Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie'' is coming to terms with this idea of romantic love. It has a tremendous impact on his relationship with [[spoiler: [[OneTrueLove Hinata]], who has loved him since childhood, because after he finally does understand, [[TwiceShy he can't look her in the eye afterwards]]. By that point, it's made patently clear to everyone that he's in love with her -- everyone except for, {{iron|y}}ically, ''Hinata'']].
** ''[[Literature/NarutoHiden Gaara Hiden]]'' reveals that due to having a similar childhood as Naruto, Gaara is very much the same. He understands friendship and familial love, but when it comes to romantic love he's incredibly dense. For example, Shikamaru and Temari's EveryoneCanSeeIt BelligerentSexualTension was something even [[ObliviousToLove Naruto]] noticed, and Gaara is the ''only one'' surprised when they finally get together.
* Rei Ayanami from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' had this trope happen when, while fighting the 16th angel, she asked herself what love is, realized that she loved Shinji enough to sacrifice her life for him, and promptly did, all within the space of about a minute. Girl is ''fast.''
** Kaworu also does this in the manga, after ironically having Rei's love for Shinji essentially Xerox'd onto him by the 16th. He asks Shinji if what he's feeling is love and tries to romantically advance on him after ''kissing Shinji while he was hyperventilating.'' [[AllLoveIsUnrequited It doesn't end well]].
** ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion 2.0'' handles the heavy Shinji/Rei subtext very well: at one point, Shinji makes lunch for Rei who reacts with a blush and thanks him; later on, she wonders why did she do that when she never thanks anyone. In another instance, Asuka questions Rei about her feelings towards Shinji and she responds that she feels "warm and content" around him but doesn't know why.
* Mashiro Shiina from ''Literature/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'' basically says exactly this when she [[spoiler:begins having feelings for Kanda Sorata]]. Her social inability due to her mental disorder has her inept, unnerving some the first time she expresses these feelings as "my chest hurts" and other such manifestations of her feelings.
* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'': Count D, owner of titular shop, admits that love is beyond him. [[spoiler: At least concerning people. Animals are something else entirely.]]
-->'''Count D:''' I do not understand love between people.
* Hishiro of ''Manga/{{ReLIFE}}'', by virtue of [[FriendlessBackground being]] [[EmotionlessGirl Hishiro]], has no idea how to understand certain emotions. She resorts to experimenting on Kaizaki, much to his discomfort.
* In ''Anime/SamuraiFlamenco'', when [[ChasteHero Masayoshi]] is told love is the ultimate weapon, he is completely lost, as he has spent his whole life training to be a hero and never paid attention to such a thing. He spends the rest of the episode wondering what love means. [[spoiler: He finds out the answer in the next episode, when [[LoveEpiphany he realizes he is in love]] with his best friend Goto. ''[[WackyMarriageProposal Right after proposing marriage to him]]''.]]
* ''Manga/ScienceFellInLoveSoITriedToProveIt'': The premise of the series is two [[TheSpock Spocks]], Ayame Himuro and Shinya Yukimura, trying to answer the question of "what is love?" via the scientific method, experimenting with things like the WallPinOfLove and charting how often one appears in the other's dreams and what they were doing.
* ''Manga/SevenSeeds'' has majority of Team A. They sort of know what love ''means'' but, given how they were raised, they don't really understand what it entails, what it feels like or how it could affect anyone. Some of them, like Koruri, know about and have fallen in love easily, where as Ayu is too [[TheStoic cool]] to really know what it means and Ryo has ''no'' idea what Matsuri means when she [[LoveConfession confeses]] that she likes him.
* ''Literature/{{Shimoneta}}'' [[PlayedForDrama plays this for all the drama]]. Due to being in a society where ''anything'' relating to sex which range from words, gestures and materials can and will be punished to the full extent of the law, everyone slowly began to lose the ability to love.
* In ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'', [[spoiler:Aaeru]] has to be specifically told by [[spoiler:Neviril]] what that painful feeling in her chest is. It makes their mutual declaration of love immediately afterward all the more touching.
* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', Stein tells Medusa that "people like [[MadScientist you and me]]" aren't capable of love. Nygus says this, too, but it's somewhat contradicted a few pages later when [[ArmedWithCanon he's seen]] [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant physically comforting Marie]].
* Shuu Tsukiyama from ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' seems to understand concepts of Affection from an intellectual standpoint, being an avid reader. But he proves utterly incapable of comprehending his own feelings of affection towards others, deciding that his lack of interest in killing his MuggleBestFriend is because she must be a "pet". After his HeelFaceTurn and months spent trying to get close to Kaneki, he ends up InLoveWithTheMark but continues to think of his feelings as purely epicurean. [[spoiler:After Kaneki is supposedly killed, his despair leaves him still in mourning two years later and ill as a result of his grief.]]
* ''Manga/VinlandSaga'': When a Christian priest is asked in passing about what he considers valuable in the world, he answers that 'love is the thing that makes all other things valuable'. The Viking marauders and mercenaries he's traveling with not only are confused, but have NO IDEA what he's talking about, and a few more curious ones ask for clarification on this "love" thing he mentions. Part of the trouble is that the priest is using [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape a definition of unconditional love for all people]] that would be pretty alien to their worldview.
* This is the primary driving point for ''Literature/VioletEvergarden'''s CharacterDevelopment: she becomes a member of the Auto Memory Dolls Service because she wishes to know the meaning behind the supposed last words her military superior-slash-ParentalSubstitute told to her.
* In ''Manga/WildRose'', Mikhail was raised to show no [[EmotionlessBoy emotion]] in order that his [[PowerTattoo markings]] wouldn't appear. As a result he doesn't understand what separates love and indifference. In contrast, not feeling love is the only thing Kiri can't understand, which makes him want to teach him.

[[AC:Fan Fiction]]
* [[http://www.fanfiction.net/~mrevil Mr. Evil's]] OriginalCharacter Alex Sovereign is unable to understand love or any other emotion, able to see his body reactions in a more scientific approach than a emotional one. Though this is all due to the fact that his mother had his emotions lobotomized when he was born so emotions would not effect his decisions.
** Averted with his other OriginalCharacter Fredi Heat, who is a AntiHero KnightInSourArmor who understands love, he just doesn't see any use to it.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has this PlayedForDrama with [[spoiler: Maddie Pryor a.k.a. Rachel Grey]], who was raised as a LivingWeapon and taught to believe that she was an ArtificialHuman whose sole reason for being was protecting her creator and following his commands, underlined by psychic programming, intended to effectively dehumanise her. As a result, she comes across as an EmotionlessGirl, in direct contrast to her ''very'' emotional counterpart [[spoiler: and SeparatedAtBirth twin]] Jean Grey, usually using SpockSpeak and focusing on her function above all else. However, there are a few signs of humanity, and it's revealed that she went along with [[spoiler: Gambit's]] plan to [[HeroicSeductress seduce her as part of his escape plan]], despite knowing full well that his affection was faked (it became real and [[spoiler: Gambit's]] plan shifted to helping her escape after he realised that she was every bit the victim he was), on the grounds that she'd ''never'' experienced even ''faked'' love before. Indeed, while she's utterly unfazed by heavyweight combat or a WorldGoneMad, she's taken aback at open trust and compassion, and when faced with unconditional love and general kindness, she's literally ''brought to her knees in tears'' because she can't understand it. Post HeelFaceTurn, surrounded by people who love and care for her, she's slowly getting better.
* ''FanFic/HeroesOfTheNewWorld''; Due to her abusive upbringing, Yamato doesn't understand complex emotions like love, so when she starts developing feelings for Izuku she's confused as to what exactly she's feeling, ultimately concluding it's some kind of intense protective instincts towards the young man.
* In the ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]]'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning'', [[BloodKnight Career tribute]] Amber views love and compassion as foreign concepts. She [[EvilCannotComprehendGood cannot seem to comprehend]] why her fellow District One tribute, [[{{Deuteragonist}} Obsidian]], insists on caring about and protecting [[TheHero Vale]], even though she is an "innocent, helpless weakling."
* Kaworu has this problem in ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust''. He understands the concept [[spoiler: and can even [[AuraVision hear]] bonds between people]], but actually experiencing it is ''just'' outside of his grasp. [[spoiler:Though he does eventually fall in love with Rei.]]
* ''Fanfic/ToHellAndBackArrowverse'': Downplayed with Oliver Queen. He understands the concept on an intellectual level, and is by no means aromantic or even asexual, but differentiating between familial/platonic love and romantic love is where he struggles. For example, he didn't realize he might have feelings for Laurel until Tommy accused him of "putting the moves" on her, and it was only by comparing how he felt around to Laurel to how he felt around Nyssa that he realized he might have feelings for the latter as well.
* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9638378 A New Reality]]'', Detective [[Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent Zach Nichols]] is utterly befuddled by his blooming [[ParentalSubstitute parental]] feelings for the eight-year-old murder witness [[AbusiveParents Andrea Marquez]]. He understands the ''concept'' of love, of course, but having doubts about his own abilities as a parent, had decided to never have children. His partner, Serena Stevens, has to sit him down and explain that his constant urge to protect, care for, and be around Andrea as much as possible is because he loves her. [[spoiler:He winds up adopting her.]]
* [[Franchise/StarWars Count Dooku]] in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/22801789/chapters/55073998#workskin Sabbatical]]'' fails to understand that he is growing attached to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, and that attachment is slowly [[LoveRedeems pulling him back to the Light-Side]].

[[AC:Literature]]
* "Civilised" society in ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'' is incredibly hedonistic, and so from childhood, everyone is encouraged to have sex with as many people as possible. Orgies are common, privacy is laughable, and no-one ever forms any kind of emotional attachment to any of their sexual partners. At first, the protagonist John ''confuses'' Lenina by refusing to test the bedsprings at the first opportunity, and so she begins to ''long for him''. And that is probably the closest thing anyone has ever felt to love in a long time.
* In ''Literature/CatsCradle'', a secretary relates a story of the time Dr. Felix Hoenikker bet her she could not tell him anything that was completely objectively true. When she responded with "God is Love", he simply asked "What is Love?" and considered the bet won.
* ''[[Literature/ResidentEvil City of the Dead]]'', a novelization of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' by S.D. Perry, states that after Leon [[TakingTheBullet took a bullet]] for Ada she developed feelings for him. Due to her rough childhood and the nature of her profession as a spy, she was unaccustomed to what love was and was unable to describe it.
-->''"It was like the birth of a new feeling, some emotion that she couldn’t name but that seemed to fill her up; it was unsettling, uncomfortable—and yet somehow, not altogether unpleasant."''
* The Bene Gesserit Question Book in ''[[Literature/PreludeToDune Dune: House Harkonnen]]'':
-->''What is this Love that so many speak of with such apparent familiarity? Do they truly comprehend how unattainable it is? Are there not as many definitions of Love as there are stars in the universe?''
* Jonas of ''Literature/TheGiver'' grows up in a false Utopian society where the word "love" has become obsolete. When he learns about it through memories received from the Giver and asks his parents if they love him, they admonish him for not using precise language and say that asking "Do you enjoy me?" or "Do you take pride in my accomplishments?" would have been better. What makes it better is that they actually laugh and treat the question as meaningless. Jonas can't help but think that what he felt earlier was anything ''but'' meaningless. He realizes that further questions would also be met with either ignorance or programmed responses. It's also explained that there is no choosing of one's own spouses -- everyone is paired up according to how "compatible" they are. Couples also don't have their own children and aren't even allowed to choose the ones they adopt.
* The [[DefrostingIceQueen beautiful but icy]] Estella from ''Literature/GreatExpectations'' claims to Pip, her suitor, that she has no heart, implicitly as a result of Miss Havisham's raising of her as a [[FemmeFatale breaker of men's hearts]]. When Miss Havisham entreats for her love and affection in return for hers, she coolly replies that she cannot give her back what she has never been given. She is later [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosted]] by Pip, if you follow the revised ending or movie adaptations.
* ''Literature/IAmNotASerialKiller'': John Cleaver is another human with a good reason to be confused by emotion: he has antisocial personality disorder. Intimacy is....hard for him. His developing feelings for [[LovableAlphaBitch Marci]] confuse him more than anything.
-->'''Hulla:''' Do you love me, John?\\
'''John:''' I don't know what that means.
* In ''Literature/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'', nearly all of Tatsuya's strong emotions were [[MindRape erased]] by his "family", but it's strongly implied that this mutilation is psychosomatic: he ''believes'' it was more effective than it actually was, and is therefore surprised when he meets genuinely good people- people worthy of love- and finds himself acting irrationally around them.
** During the BeachEpisode, Tatsuya goes to swim with his peers and unthinkingly reveals that he's CoveredWithScars. In response to their shock, he thinks they are disgusted, and blames himself for his "mistake". Obviously, the reader knows that he acted that way because he felt comfortable with them, and trusted them to accept his [[ChildSoldiers true self]]. Trust that is validated a moment later, when Honoka assures him that they're ''not'' disgusted, just horrified by the thought that their friend has been through so much pain.
--->''He reflected bitterly that he must have still been in a daze from the weather here, so far south.''
** Similarly, he does not consider that his paranoid urge to "protect" Miyuki from potential perverts is partly selfish until Minami points that out.
* In ''Literature/JediApprentice'', Obi-Wan Kenobi become friends with and became attracted to a girl named Cerasi, but he didn't entirely understand what was happening. He confided his feelings to fellow Jedi Bant Eerin after Cerasi died, and Bant explained.
-->'''Obi-Wan:''' We had a connection that I can't explain. It wasn't the result of time, of hours spent together. It wasn't the result of secrets or confidences. It was something else.\\
'''Bant Eerin:''' You loved her.
* Used in ''Literature/TheLastContinent'', with a twist: The questioner is the God of Evolution, and the explainers are a bunch of wizards who have managed to travel back in time to before sex was even invented. Ponder is trying to explain to the aforementioned god why things don't work in ones, and how babies could be made, but the conversation screeches to a halt when the topic of sex is broached. It is left to Mrs. Whitlow (the housekeeper of Unseen University who has been hauled along for the ride) to explain things, leading a few of the wizards to ask if anyone knows [[OutWithABang what happened to]] ''[[OutWithABang Mr.]]'' [[OutWithABang Whitlow.]]
* In ''Literature/ThePillarsOfReality'', due to the Mages having a strict policy of EmotionSuppression, Alain has trouble with the concept of being in love. For that matter, he has trouble with the concepts of friendship, gratitude, thanks, and help.
* In the ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'' series, it's subtle and rarely mentioned, but implied that Kellhus comes to have some affection for Esmenet, though he doesn't really understand what it is because emotions are so alien to him. In the second book, Esmenet comes to meet him on top of the citadel in [[spoiler:Caraskand]], and almost slips from the ramparts. Kellhus finds himself "puzzled by a sudden shortness of breath. The fall would have been fatal."
* In ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', Michael ([[BlueAndOrangeMorality having been raised by aliens]]) takes a long time to catch on to human emotions. He has the worst time with love and humor.
* Chad from ''Literature/SuperPowereds'' has a power that lets him effectively turn off his emotions, but during his junior year he begins to experiment with leaving them alone. He also begins to hang out with Angela and the Melbrook gang specifically because he hopes their chaotic nature will mellow his own neurotic orderliness.
* Yoruka in ''Literature/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'' doesn't understand her own love for others or that other people could love her, in either the familial or romantic sense. This is because she was ostracised by others (except her brother) for her natural killing instincts and created an image of herself as nothing more than a tool. She claims that she doesn't care about her brother, which Lux points out is false when he manages to beat her (she had the upper hand in their fight, but lost her focus when talking about her brother). Later on, she doesn't understand why Lux would [[TakingTheBullet take a fatal attack for her]].

[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** [[HalfHumanHybrid Half-human, half-esper]] Terra from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' spends quite a part of the game trying to understand love (she only gets it after some time taking care of a group of orphaned children).
** In [[VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII]] have Shelke confused about love. After she had spent ten years with Deepground, it ain't no wonder that she hasn't learned what love is. So when [[spoiler:Shalua sacrifices herself]] for her and Vincent tries to be her friend, she first reacts with coldness and surprise, and then with curiosity. She eventually learns what love is by the end.
** The [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Warrior of Light]] from ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', who is very emotionally stunted on account of [[spoiler: starting life as a emotionless clone]], [[BodyguardCrush manages to fail to realize there might be more to his natural disposition to be at Cosmos side than mere loyalty]]. This is shown best when he is genuflected before her, he sees she's in pain and raises a hand to seemingly comfort her, but quickly retracts said hand.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'': Roxas has a diary entry titled, "What is love?" after witnessing a scene between Belle and Beast on one of his missions. Since he couldn't make sense of what Xaldin was saying about it, he tried asking Axel about it -- but didn't get any real answer. He wrote that he felt like Axel kept dodging questions he didn't know the answer to just by saying that he could not understand it without a real heart. [[ShipperOnDeck Xig]][[{{Troll}} bar]] tried to set Roxas and Xion up ([[ViewerGenderConfusion they look]] [[ScrewYourself the same]] to him), but while Roxas was fond of her, he could not understand what Xigbar was trying to do.
* In ''[[VideoGame/WarioLand Wario Land: Shake It!]]'', Love literally is in one of the treasures chests in the game, and is actually represented by the word 'love' itself; but the treasure's listed name is merely "Something important." It is assumed that this name comes from Wario's own view of the subject.
* If you sleep with [[BlackMagicianGirl Morrigan]] in ''VIdeoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' and subsequently [[DefrostingIceQueen get her to warm up to you]], she will pose this question.
* ''Everyone'' in ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga''. Why? [[spoiler: They are all AIs, created solely for combat, with no emotional responses included, leading to a battlefield full of emotionless androids based on certain humans. The Demon Virus kick-started the [[CharacterDevelopment development of their personalities]], up to character strengths and flaws, along certain viewpoints on the original people. It is specially poignant to see TheSpock finally thaw and grasp the concept of honor and love, and everyone having to lose it all through an increasingly brutal chain of {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s. Mind, it's also quite an emotional scene to see TheLancer struggle with love and jealousy when he has no idea of [[NearRapeExperience what the hell he's doing]].]]
* This trope sums up the character arc of the heroine of ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue''. She begins as an EmotionlessGirl [[{{Determinator}} completely focused on accomplishing her mission]] and gradually [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosts]]. Emotions prove to [[LoveHurts make some aspects of her mission more difficult]], but in the end, [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower she needs them to succeed]].
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the Jedi Knight Nariel Pridence, who the Republic smuggler meets on Tatooine, is so steeped in the Jedi teaching of emotionlessness that she completely (and usually comically) misses the intent of any flirting done toward her.
* In ''VideoGame/CaptainMorganeAndTheGoldenTurtle'', Chief Bajari, while not unaware of the concept of love, has difficulty applying it to himself, being unable to identify the reason he feels so strange when interacting with Tana. Chief Chemi'n [[RelationshipSabotage has convinced him]] that the reason he gets anxious even thinking about her is that she has put a curse on him. Morgane sets him right on that issue.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', [[ShrinkingViolet Paya]] is such an [[TheIngenue Ingenue]] that when she suddenly develops a crush on Link, she initially thinks she has contracted some illness, to the point that she asks her grandmother and their two bodyguards for some medicine and advice.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', the denizens of the Agnian and Kevesi nations are born into short lifespans, which are dedicated almost entirely to warfare with one another. As such, nobody on either side has any inherent concept of romance or sexuality, and, when they feel either for the first time (such as when [[CommanderContrarian Kite]] first encounters [[ForestRanger Juniper]]), they're unable to comprehend what it is.

%%[[AC:Real Life]]
%%* This trope has a grain of truth in it, as it is [[TruthInTelevision a common symptom of people who suffer from severe cases of "Schizoid Personality Disorder".]] %%It is absolutely not. People with a Schizoid Personality Disorder have problems with expressing their emotions and social interactions in general, but they are in no way emotionally stunted and understand feelings perfectly fine.
%%** Those on the Autism spectrum can have trouble with it too. %%Again, with expressing feelings or correctly interpret their expression in other people, not with understanding them. Claiming that Autists don't get what love is completely lacks evidence.
%%* It can also be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder: Although the affected person will still understand what love ''is'', they may experience "emotional numbing", so that they are no longer be capable of feeling certain emotions, such as love or happiness. In some cases, the person can feel it, but is unable to recognize it. %%Has nothing to do with the here described trope. Feeling emotionally numb because of trauma or depression is a symptom of psychological problems, not of a general incapability to understand an emotion.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* Ulquiorra in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', although notably he isn't ''jealous'' of it...he's more annoyed by it. [[spoiler:"You damn humans speak so easily of the heart... what is this "heart?" If I tear open your chest, will I see it inside? If I shatter your skull, will I see it ''there''? As he dies, he finally figures it out: "What is that? Would I see it if I cracked open your chest? If I broke open your skull, what would I see inside? You humans say the word so easily. Just like...Oh. I get it. This is it. This here in my hand. The heart."]]
* The youko ([[{{Obake}} fox spirit]]) Tamamo from ''Manga/HellTeacherNube'' can't even begin to comprehend how or why Nube was so [[{{Determinator}} determined]] to [[PapaWolf protect his students]], much less why such drive gives him power beyond more powerful entities. Therefore, he sticks around to see exactly how ThePowerOfLove works, and also to annoy Nube as the school's physician. The interesting part is that he becomes just as attached to Doumori Elementary and its students without him ever realizing it, and gains the same kind of determination and selflessness as Nube. It comes to a head when Tamamo exorcises an emotion-parasite [[{{Obake}} yokai]] from a little girl, and, still wishing to explore emotions, attaches it to himself. He is overcome with human feelings that overwhelm even his demonic side.
* ''Manga/HanatsukiHime'': Siva, and any of the other devils involved in making contracts with humans, ''want'' to experience this trope because the devils do not have emotions (or the emotions that humans have). It starts out as a game to relieve boredom and simply ends that way for most -- for some, however, the trope gets played straight.
* In ''Manga/KamisamaKiss'' [[AsianFoxSpirit Tomoe]] gets rescued by Yukiji [[spoiler: actually Nanami posing as Yukiji]] and starts developing romantic feelings for her, something he had never experienced before. Given his normal attitude towards humans this leaves him rather conflicted and confused.
* In ''Anime/CControl'', Assets do not feel much emotion and do not understand most human concepts, though Q and Msyu do care deeply for Mikuni and Kimimoro respectively. When Msyu sees a kiss on TV, she's confused and asks Kimimoro about it. He awkwardly says it is what people do when they like each other 30 times as much as normal. [[spoiler:In the final episode, Msyu and Kimimoro finally kiss, with her saying she likes him 40 times as much.]]
* In ''Anime/YashahimePrincessHalfDemon'', that's a real weakness for the [[{{Youkai}} half-demon]] Towa. She is inexperienced with romance and only knows the concept of liking someone. During romantic advances she is flattered, slightly nervous, blushed and speechless. Riku takes advantage of this by partially confessing his feelings and manipulating her to give him her silver rainbow pearl.
* ''Manga/WelcomeToDemonSchoolIrumaKun'' has a variant, where demonkind understands not just lust but romance as well, but the concept of platonic companionship is basically a foreign idea to them, to the point they [[LanguageEqualsThought don't even have a word for it]]. Everybody who meets [[TokenHuman Iruma]] and learns both the concept of and word for friendship from him comes to view it as a perfect term to describe the [[TrueCompanions bonds]] he [[TheHeart helped them form]].

[[AC:Fan Works]]
* In the ''Series/Lucifer2016'' fic "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/36162718/ The Devil and His Urchin]]", Lucifer is Trixie's father after a one-night stand with Chloe. When he, Dan and Chloe first tell Trixie about their real relationship, Trixie explicitly asks Lucifer if he loves her, and Lucifer finds himself reflecting that he barely understands the ''concept'' of love, to the extent that he never bothered to try and feel that way about someone before. He settles for saying that he cares about Trixie "very, ''very'' much", and Trixie accepts that response for the time.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Subverted in Jaqueline Carey's ''Literature/TheSundering'', a story intentionally resembling ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' a great deal, but written from the [[PerspectiveFlip villains' point of view]]. Satoris and his followers are just as capable of feeling and understanding love as any other being, they just happen to have made different choices.
* In Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheScrewtapeLetters'', the eponymous demon believes that to exist is fundamentally to compete with all other existence, and therefore the concepts of 'love' and 'unity' are dismissed by him (and all other demons) as nonsense. Consequently they are utterly unable to comprehend why God would do so much for the humans, because God doesn't appear to be profiting materially from it in any way.
* At the other end of the spiritual spectrum, this trope causes trouble in Heaven in Creator/NeilGaiman's short story "Murder Mysteries".
* In Creator/StephenieMeyer's short story "Hell on Earth", demons do know about love, but treat it as a very dangerous and unpleasant thing. They themselves try to avoid it like the plague, but the demon who's a main character is shocked to learn that some demons that are careless can still fall in love with mortals and give up their immortality as a result. [[spoiler:At the end of the story, she is trapped in the power of an angel's descendant and begins to feel love as well. In a bit of a twist, she still is utterly miserable and horrified to be caught like that and the story ends with her desperately plotting on how to escape.]]

[[AC:Video Games]]
* Sanctus from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' [[spoiler:mocks Nero and Credo on their efforts of rescuing Kyrie with "Held back by love" and "Love..? For a sibling?" respectively. While Sanctus was originally human, he's all but demonic by that point]].
* ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'':
** Laharl from both the ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' game and anime goes through this due to his encounter with LoveFreak Flonne -- the success of his evolution in the game depends entirely upon the state of your KarmaMeter during the story, with [[MultipleEndings endings ranging from]] a somewhat twisted HappilyEverAfter to downright horrific. The anime mixes parts of several of the game endings together for a HeroicSacrifice moment with a [[TwistEnding twist]].
** The trope is also featured in ''VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories'' with Rozalin, with her [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting]] treated in much the same way.
** It gets spoofed in ''VideoGame/Disgaea3AbsenceOfJustice'', when [[MadScientist Mao]] tries a more scientific approach to figuring out love.
--->'''Mao:''' Acidic or basic? What's it's formula?

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', [[spoiler: Meruem]], a total [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] and someone who saw humans as merely food and his own kind as basically slaves, both had no idea why he enjoyed his games with [[spoiler: Komugi]], which he always lost and ''should'' have been annoyed by, but also did not understand why he felt the urge to protect someone as weak as her from any harm. When he begins to figure out his feelings, he undergoes major CharacterDevelopment.
* An odd example with Seishirou from ''Manga/TokyoBabylon'' and ''Manga/{{X 1999}}''. As the current[[spoiler: Sakurazukamori]], he understands it in concept since the [[spoiler: role is inherited when the predecessor is killed by the person whom they love most]]. Seishirou questions the previous title holder, [[spoiler: his mother, who'll ever kill him as he simply can love no one]]. Her dying words recall how she once thought the same way until she met him. Despite being TheSociopath and claiming to see no difference between killing a person and breaking an object, his [[DestructiveRomance relationship]] with [[StarCrossedLovers Subaru]] ends with him [[spoiler:pulling a ThanatosGambit that forces the kind-hearted Subaru [[TorsoWithAView into murdering him]]. [[DiedInYourArmsTonight Dying in Subaru's arms]], [[DyingDeclarationOfLove he admits his feelings]]]]. [[TheUnreveal Probably...]]

[[AC:Fan Fiction]]
* In ''Fanfic/ACharmedLife'', [[Manga/DeathNote Light Yagami]] is very emotionally stunted and hadn't even thought himself ''capable'' of falling in love with someone, believing that if someone were to write his name in the Death Note for that purpose, he would just die of a heart attack.
* In ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'' it's Dark General Jadeite who doesn't understand the concept of love. Since most of his life has been constant power struggles against subordinate youmas, fellow backstabbing generals and his BadBoss Queen Beryl, he can't completely understand what it's like to fall in love, romance in general or simply caring for other people and having basic empathy. He does get better, though.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Cathy Ames in ''Literature/EastOfEden'' spends most of her life thinking of herself as superior to everyone else because she's so much smarter and prettier. After meeting Caleb, she realizes that none of that matters because everyone else around her can do ''something'' that she can't do. She never quite figures out what that thing is, but she still senses that nothing else is worth taking pride in without this one undefinable ability. [[AlasPoorVillain She ends up killing herself because even though she can't figure out what it is she can't do, she still understands that it's the only thing that makes life worth living.]]
* Deconstructed in ''Literature/AFrozenHeart'', a PerspectiveFlip adaption of ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''. [[FreudianExcuse Neglected by his family in youth]], [[spoiler:Prince Hans]] downplays the abuse [[WorseWithContext as "what brothers do"]] and thinks LoveIsAWeakness. However, it also leaves him incapable of understanding how actual happy relations work, especially when Anna and Elsa managed to reconcile with each other despite years of separation.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Harry is initially protected from Voldemort by the magical protection his mother's love gave him because Voldemort, who was raised as an orphan and appeared to be heading towards ruthlessness as far back as childhood, could not comprehend love. In the fifth book, Harry learns from a prophecy that love is the one power he has that Voldemort does not.
** Furthermore, in a brilliant move, the only reason Voldemort never ever doubted [[spoiler: Snape's loyalty was because Snape's status as a mole was entirely motivated by love, the only thing Voldemort could not understand and would never take into consideration]].
** In the sixth book, it's revealed that Voldemort basically had no love in his life when he grew up. His father was under the influence of a love potion when he was conceived and his mother died instead of using magic to save herself to care for him. As a result, it is explained that he has absolutely no understanding of love or friendship and loves absolutely no one. It's probably because of this that he fails to realize [[spoiler:that Harry's friends and loved ones will continue to fight in his name, even after Harry seemingly dies]]. Author J.K. Rowling confirmed that Voldemort would have been a much different person had his mother not died of despair. A less extreme example is Bellatrix Lestrange who, [[WordOfGod according to Rowling]] loved no one except for her twisted obsession with Voldemort. Actually, a major theme in the books is love. If someone doesn't love or care about anyone at all, chances are they're totally evil.
*** In the first book:
---->'''Dumbledore:''' If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.
*** In the sixth book:
---->'''Harry Potter:''' ...I'll have "power the Dark Lord knows not", it just means -- love?\\
'''Dumbledore:''' Yes -- just love...
* Messed with by Creator/PhilipKDick in ''We Can Build You''; Pris Frauenzimmer's absolute, pathological lack of empathy is hinted to be cracking under growing feelings for the lead in her last line in the book. Of course, ''the'' last line in the book is [[UnreliableNarrator said lead]] [[DownerEnding writing off that possibility in his mind]]. TrueArtIsAngsty.

[[AC:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', Viconia does have a concept of what love is but, being from a race where sex is used for either only pleasure or to have power over somebody, is quite unfamiliar with the more intimate aspects, such as cuddling, and is quite confused when she starts to "feel an ache" whenever you're apart.
* Slight parody in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' with one of the Soldier's Halloween lines:
-->'''Tin Soldier:''' I AM A ROBOT. BOOP. WHAT IS LOVE?
* In Captain Blue's story in ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'', Alastor demands this of Blue after Alastor finds and reads a love letter Blue wrote to his wife.
-->'''Alastor:''' Tell me about humans... and that thing you call love!\\
''[after the fight]''\\
'''Blue:''' Love is a potent force. It is what I fight for.\\
'''Alastor:''' [[ThePowerOfLove Love is power]]... I'll remember that.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
* [[BigBad Dead Master]] from ''Anime/BlackRockShooter'' cannot figure out why the eponymous character keeps holding out her hand as an invitation to fight, after the fight has already started. [[spoiler: She also freaks out when she receives a CoolDownHug due to her not knowing what the hell her enemy's doing. Though she could have just been expecting some sort of [[FinishHim finishing blow]].]]
* ''Anime/DeathParade'' has one of the rare examples that's played for horror. This is pretty much the worst possible question to be asked by the judge of the afterlife when [[spoiler:you're evaluating how he judged (and misunderstood) two people to be sent to the void and reincarnation; he doesn't realize the woman he sent to the void actually lied about not loving her husband in order to save him from guilt, meaning ''he sent her to the wrong place'']].
* The mermaids in ''Manga/HekikaiNoAiON'' seems to have this case, but they know is used by humans to mate. One of them discovered what it is though, and also that LoveHurts.
* In ''Manga/SazanEyes'', when Yakumo asks Amara if he loves Ushas, Amara replies that he doesn't exactly understand the concept (he's a plant-based lifeform, after all) but his whole existence is devoted only to her safety. Yakumo decides that's close enough.
* Dragons in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' have a very simplistic view on interpersonal relationships since they tend to be a solitary species. Things like romance or familial bonds are completely foreign to them, and it's specifically stated that those who express a desire for such things learned it from mimicking humans. One particular example of this would be when Ilulu gets a warm feeling in her chest after getting a headpat from [[ImpliedLoveInterest Taketo]] and mistakenly believing that she's going into heat.
* The half-elf Emilia from ''Literature/ReZero'' is inexperienced in romantic love. She knows why each other is cared for, but she is innocent because she has been shunned all her life. Subaru is very important to her and she likes that he loves her. But Emilia is not sure whether she loves him too or just likes him.

[[AC:Fan Fiction]]
* Played with in the ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' fic ''[[FanFic/BoundDestiniesTrilogy Blood and Spirit]]''. Fi admits to Sheik at one point that, though she can't feel love herself, she understands the concept perfectly.
* ''FanFic/FantasyOfUtterRidiculousness'': Patchouli, having spent almost all of her life in the Scarlet Devil Mansion's library with little social interaction outside of Remilia or Sakuya, is completely clueless to Jamie's attempts to sweet-talk her. As such, she's left confused when Koakuma "protects" her by [[DopeSlap Dope Slapping]] him.
* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': Near the end of Chapter 31 of the original, Kyril comes to the conclusion that love is a frustrating concept to deal with. He truly believes he's better off slaughtering beasts in Yharnam than manoeuvring through the affections others want from him, for hunters like him are not supposed to love -- they hunt, fight, and kill. Kyril's internal monologue reveals that [[spoiler:he asked himself in private many times on whether he was in love with either Celestine or Olga. He admits that he came to care for the both of them[[note]]it is worth mentioning that ''caring'' and ''being in love'' are not necessarily synonymous[[/note]], but he considers himself too broken for having the affections of other good people]].
* ''Fanfic/APeacefulAfterlife'': As times goes on, Kira slowly but surely develops attachment to the others in the hotel, eventually becoming outright affection. Fittingly enough for Kira, this newfound regard for the feelings and wellbeing of others is initially met with confusion and annoyance, though he comes to grudgingly accept it as a positive change.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Iason Mink of ''Literature/AiNoKusabi'' is an ArtificialHuman [[TheBeautifulElite Elite]] of a {{Dystopia}}n [[CrapsackWorld society]] where a MasterComputer rules and [[DystopianEdict restricts it's artificially created children from participating in many human behaviors such as exhibiting emotion or indulging in sex]]. Iason develops LimaSyndrome towards Riki whom he kidnapped and forcibly made a SexSlave of. Eventually, Iason realizes he's in love with his "Pet" and struggles to make sense of his new found emotions.
* In ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'', the [[TheFairFolk Sitha]] Aditu befriends the young human Simon while the latter is in captivity in the Sithi's forest city. Due to her [[WeAreAsMayflies slightly longer perspective]] on life, she finds the human obsession with love and sex to be somewhat amusing, and teases Simon mercilessly to this effect. Later, she even goes so far as to break up Simon's would-be tryst with a peasant girl under the pretense of being his "fairy lover".
* Parodied in the Literature/BulwerLyttonFictionContest's 2007 Science Fiction Runner-Up:
-->''"So that was your Earth emotion 'love'," gasped Zyxwlyxgwr Noopar, third in line to the holo-throne of S-6, as he hosed down his trunk and removed the shallots.'' — Mike Bollen, Brighton, UK
* In ''Literature/{{Seraphina}}'', dragons are a cold, logical and pedantic species, but are able to shape-shift into humans. They are healthily discouraged from giving in to human emotions with the threat of a MindWipe. But when Comonot, the dragon general himself, transforms for the first time in forty years, he is fascinated and confused by all human emotions, not just love, and demands that Seraphina explain his feelings to him.
* In ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom,'' Dame Primus understands the concept of love, but dismisses this as a mortal emotion that holds no use in the House. She is unmoved by Arthur's explanations that it is love for his family that keeps him from surrendering his mortality, and even queries why he loves them at all when they're not his blood (Arthur is adopted). Since she is the Will of the Architect [[spoiler: and not just in the-last-will-and-testament sense, either]] one can presume that the Architect--creator of the universe--held similar views. This is the major difference between her and [[spoiler: the New Architect, Arthur; after considering reshaping the entire universe, the echo of the boy he had been causes him to recreate it exactly as it was, and to understand why his 'mortal' side doesn't want him to reincarnate their mother Emily solely from their memories]].
* It is quite obvious in the ''Literature/KharkanasTrilogy'' that the quasi-god Draconus has some kind of affection towards Mother Dark, what with him officially being her Consort. However, he hasn't got the mechanics of love down quite as well as one would assume considering their realm-spanning romance. He is more seen stumbling around trying to make grand gestures of affection that ultimately backfire into LoveRuinsTheRealm and ends up presenting more of a creator's love towards his creation thing rather than interpersonal affection.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' uses the catchphrase "What is 'Kiss'?" to mock this trope when a character reacts to a kiss with confusion, usually due to the actor's [[{{Narm}} failure to emote properly]]. The quote "What is 'Kiss'" is often attributed to ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'' or ''Franchise/StarTrek'', although the exact phrase was not used in either of these sources. The phase "what is 'kiss'?" is used verbatim in a skit of ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', with the discovery of the garden store natives. Followed a few seconds later by "what is 'handjob'?"

* ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'': Fauna points out that the few things Maleficent doesn't understand are love, kindness, and the [[GoodFeelsGood joys of helping others]]. Hence why Flora points out that if they shelter the princess themselves (selflessly helping someone at their own risk), Maleficent wouldn't be able to expect it so easily.

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Spike]] in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', once he's got a [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction government]] issued microchip in his noggin preventing him from harming humans, finds to his frustration his [[SlapSlapKiss obsession with Buffy Summers morphing into genuine affection]]. This cognitive dissonance eventually impels him to begin a [[ArcFatigue long]] HeelFaceTurn culminating in a quest to [[BecomeARealBoy restore his human soul]].

* Marvel's ComicBook/{{Shatterstar}} came to Earth as an alien gladiator, bred in a test tube for the sole reason of fighting in the pits on Mojoworld for the entertainment of the Spineless executives and only interested in fighting. As he lives on Earth for longer and longer, he's slowly learning about human culture, including human emotions and sexuality. This lead to a relationship with fellow ''ComicBook/XForce'' and ''ComicBook/XFactor'' teammate Rictor, as well as a sudden interest in AnythingThatMoves in the latter title.