Valentine's Day is here, and if you are anything like me, it's a day I dread the most. Couples surround me, showing excess public displays of affection, my Instagram feed is overwhelmed with cliche posts about love, and my gut wrenches in my stomach. There is no escape from this epidemic that is love.
My inner Goddess silently attacks me with snide remarks about my loneliness. No need to worry, I don't take it personally. From day one, I was raised to be independent woman and take on the world headfirst with nothing but my own two fists full of determination. Which is all fun and games until the reality of loneliness hits you like a freight train.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for women, independence, and feminism, but let me say it loud enough for the people in the back: being alone sucks. Because of all this, I wonder, does love really exist?
The definition of love is defined in many different ways. As per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, love is defined as, "A strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; attraction based on sexual desire; affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests."
So basically, love comes in many different forms; which in turn, means we all experience this attraction differently, giving light to the idea that there is no true definition for love, no matter what every dictionary says.
If you ask any scientist, they will tell you that love doesn't occur within the heart. The heart is simply an organ that functions to pump blood throughout the human body via veins and arteries, supplying nutrients and oxygen to the tissues, all the while, removing carbon dioxide and other waste. However, love might occur within the brain, but is the right word for it love?
The brain is the most complex organ in the body that has yet to be completely understood. This idea of love consists of a release of hormones in our brains such as oxytocin, dopamine, adrenaline, testosterone, estrogen, and vasopressin. All of these hormones create an ambiance of euphoria and pleasure.
Because of the drug-like affect our hormones have on our body, falling in love is easily compared to a drug addiction. Depending upon the amount of dopamine released, you feel just as wired when taking a hit of cocaine. Your brain becomes addicted to the gratifying feeling of “love".
The urge to keep the source of it around is so strong, hence why you might fall deeply infatuated with another person. And if you were to lose someone you love or experience a break up, your body will experience withdrawal. But is that love or just a chemical reaction within our bodies?
Maybe, love is just a behavior acted out by choice because of forces within society. It means something to us, not because it's a tangible thing that exists, but because we've agreed to pretend it exists, like money or Christmas.
Yes, that sounds harsh, but think about it. What if no one mentioned the word love and when it was mentioned everyone denied that it existed? Eventually, everyone would agree. Evolution never said anything about love, just that it was natural to reproduce and to carry on the life of a species to prevent extinction.
Over all the controversy, I cannot give a definite answer to the existence of love. I cannot say I am a true believer as I have yet to experience this feeling of infatuation myself.
Every Valentine's Day, I will continue to wear blinders on my walk to and from class, avoid any and all social media feeds like the plague, and divulge on pizza rolls to ease my stomach.
The only cure to truly fix these Valentine's Day blues is all the candy that goes on sale the day after.
