We all know that in human history the figure of “mother” has been respected in a special way. Consider the figure “mother nature”, which represents nature in a female personification.
Or let us mention Dewi Sri, a Javanese deity that represents a supernatural power controlling the production of rice.
In my opinion, in spite of their specific cultural values, both of them are proof that our human nature has an innate tendency to view “mother” as a caring and loving figure.
I believe that this innate tendency is associated with the concept of maternal love in human biology. Maternal love is a special psychological connection between a mother and her children which leads her to voluntarily nurse her offspring until they reach adulthood.
Just like romantic love, maternal love is an aspect of human biology that is important for the survival of the human species.
The mother is the caretaker of her baby, whom she protects from dangers in the surrounding environment. Thus, the baby will have a desire to maintain physical proximity to her in order to feel safe.
A study conducted by Bartels and Zeki in 2004 showed that maternal love is also closely related to romantic love in terms of its neurological mechanism.
Both kinds of love deactivate the network in the brain that contributes in existing negative emotions and social judgments in the human mind.
That is why every mother selflessly loves her child. In addition, another study conducted by Noriuchi (2008) showed that maternal love has a diverse and complex neurological system that supports the behavior of vigilant protectiveness.
However, the most intriguing thing is its relevance to the social life of human beings. The fact that a mother has maternal love critical for the survival of her child is something that needs to be reflected upon in this modern age.
Earlier this year I posted an article in The Jakarta Post regarding the role of mother from a biological perspective.
Many comments came to the newspaper’s website. Some people strongly disagreed with my article, implying that biological facts are so outdated and are not appropriate with the term “modern” — which is associated with “feminism”.
I believe that knowledge is wisdom and this fact of science should lead us to better lives, not only practically, but also psychologically.
The fact that an infant needs physical proximity to his mother in order to find bonding and strengthen maternal love does not negate that a woman cannot work in the office.
It also does not negate that a woman should not have her own self-actualization.
I salute women that provide breast milk for their baby through delivery service from their office to their home. I also salute the women that teach science and still have time to watch their children every hour.
That is great. But the key to be emphasized here is the role of mother itself. Even in this modern day, human beings are still human beings.
Every woman who chooses to be a mother, no matter who she is, would have the biological mechanism explained above.
To make it clear, I think each of us has a certain personal memory about our relationship with our mother. Just try to remember how tender she was when she nursed us, then we will find that maternal love is innate within our minds. Happy Mother’s Day!
The author is a science writer.
