While walking to class this week, an idea dashed into my mind as fast as a fire alarm goes off. All of a sudden things in my head were heating up and BAM.
Love is a topic I love to analyze. What is love? How do people describe love? Does love even exist?
People say they love each other so quickly nowadays, it becomes a forced word rather than a settling emotion.
When we walk into a pet shop, or maybe even a store, the word love spurts out of our mouth. I love this dog. I will walk it every day and be the best owner. I love this shirt. I need it. But when we walk out without making any purchase, do we think about the dog or the shirt the next day? No. So how can we claim we loved it.
I decided to walk around campus and ask people...
In one sentence, what is love?
"Love is looking at someone and knowing that you would put yourself through pain and suffering just so they would not have to." --Douglas S, 22
"Putting other people's happiness before your own." --Lisa M, 21
"Love is when you never stop thinking about that thing that you love." --Olivia L, 20
"Thinking about your partner's needs before your own." --Ciara B, 20
"Mutual respect between two people." --Kelsey C, 20
"Can I google it?" --Travis C, 21
"Finding a better you because of the presence of someone else." --Katie L, 21
"Mutual emotions for one another that's indescribable and comes from the heart." Anthony W, 21
"Love is acceptance." Dory B, 21
"The most painful thing ever." Sarah W, 21
"A connection between two souls." Tyler C, 21
"Accepting someone for all of their flaws and believing in them when they don't believe in themselves." Nico D, 21
"Love is always being there for someone through everything that life throws at you, especially the hard times when all you want to do is run away." Jon B, 21
"Like Owen Wilson said, 'It's the souls recognition of its counterpart in the other.'" Ross B, 18
"Love is when you would do anything for someone and expect nothing in return." Courtney S, 21
"Baby don't hurt me." Brendan D, 21
"When you find the other half of your soul and couldn't imagine living without them." Morgan L, 19
"Love is getting butterflies when you're around them and missing them when they're away. It's looking forward to sharing everything with them including your happiness, success, and even your failures." Kaitlyn G, 21
"Getting to experience everything with your best friend." Anna A, 21
"Being honest with one another." Steph G, 21
Before I asked everyone their opinion, I wrote my own...
"Love is looking at someone and seeing a piece of your heart in them. It is thinking about someone 24/7 and hoping that wherever they are and whatever they are doing, they are happy."
Then the analyzing came. Many people talked about respect and the connection of TWO souls. But we love our family. We love our pets.
Some expressed pain, or felt awkward answering serious. As a society I challenge us to remember love is not all about one relationship. Also, make sure you practice what you preach. If you believe love is about respect and honest, act that way. This small experiment was very eye opening. Ask yourself, what is love to you?
