With the valentine's day around the corner, the capmag has an interesting article on love – I found the following paragraphs somewhat revealing :

Love, we are repeatedly taught, consists of self-sacrifice. Love based on self-interest, we are admonished, is cheap and sordid. True love, we are told, is altruistic. But is it?
Imagine a Valentine's Day card which takes this premise seriously. Imagine receiving a card with the following message: "I get no pleasure from your existence. I obtain no personal enjoyment from the way you look, dress, move, act or think. Our relationship profits me not. You satisfy no sexual, emotional or intellectual needs of mine. You're a charity case, and I'm with you only out of pity. Love, XXX."

The full article can be read here - [What is True Love?]

I believe all individuals are fundamentally selfish whether they’d accept it or not, people who proclaim they’d live for or die for other people are, well, hopelessly romantic to start with, and fundamentally, still selfish.

Perhaps with things like love though, people do not attempt do rationalize it. probably a good thing.