Bex
United States
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How are we defining love? Scholars like to put love into 3 categories: Perfect love (the sacrifice of self, including of life), brotherly love (platonic but intense, like the love between friends or family) and erotic love, meaning purely physical. Do I believe in the existence of love? Of course. I have a very loving family. Do you mean in the existence of a romantic love and there is at least one person out there for everybody? Well… that I might argue. I think some people are genuinely meant to be alone in life that way, but those people have the ability to handle it. If you're happier when you're alone, meaning not in a romantic relationship, then that's perfectly fine. But I think true love, perfect love, the sacrificing of self and even life, is what you are talking about. The giving and the trusting, the giving up of things, even career, out of love for another. This kind of perfect love is not reserved for someone you know, either… for example, if you willingly lay down your life for a stranger, that is love, the highest love. And that is becoming increasingly rare, whereas erotic love, eros, physical love with little trace of brotherly love or even perfect love, is becoming far more prevelant, as can be witnessed by the increase of divorce rates. No one wants to sacrifice anymore. I am guilty of this, myself, but then I am happy to be alone (without boyfriend). My family, faith and friends more than compensate. You were very correct with your first statement… love, lasting love, takes a great deal of effort. To wit: there is actually a chemical process to the whole 'love' issue. When one experiences romantic love, the falling in love scenario, there is a chemical reaction inside the brain, hormones and such released. It creates an actual and chemical high that can last for about up to two years at the longest. This is known as 'the honeymoon period' in English. After that, the chemicals stabalize and things go back to normal and feelings 'change'. This is where the work comes in. So falling in love is easy and even frequent, but staying in love takes effort. It is hard. Most people quit when things get hard anymore and that is why so much love 'ends' these days within a few years' time. I agree with your original assessment completely. Good observation!
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