Formulas by definition are organized, often mathematical, and always logical. In fact, formulas are governed by logic, what philosophers call conditional logic.

The conditional logic of any formula is basically this:

If you combine or connect specific ingredients in a specific manner, then the outcome is both predictable and consistent. Formulas are all about logic. They’re about the words “if” and “then”

Much of our practical life is governed by formulas, and we enjoy a certain degree of security from the principle of if-then. If you go into a bank and withdraw a money using your bank card, then you’re a customer. But if you go into a bank and withdraw money using someone else’s bank card, then you’re a criminal.

Formulas that employ the if-then principle help us apply a comfortable simplicity to an uncomfortably complex world. That’s why we’re so attracted to the idea of a love formula in our culture.