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Published on July 28, 2005 By jesseledesma In Personal Relationships

Real Love

What is real love? Well I see love as an emotion. Ironically, as much as it is important, it is also a hard emotion to describe.

Emotions like anger, joy, or happiness are easy to understand. However, romantic love is hard to describe.

I would say we know we have this love for another person when we think of that person and we are overwhelmed by a god emotion we cannot describe.

Of course, in the interest of correctness, I have to qualify some terms. I am actually talking about real romantic love between a man and a woman.

We all have a need for real love. It is the way we were created.

The process is not that complicated. Through out life we are exposed to images, ideas, and philosophies.

All of us code information with the appropriate emotions. As far as our romantic ideal is concerned we eventually form an idea of the perfect mate.

This is the idealized version of the perfect mate.

When we encounter someone who resembles our image of this idealized mate, that indescribable emotion begins to well up inside of us.

I know you thought it was more to do with being swept of your feet by prince charming
Prince charming is dead. He died of loneliness because the modern woman settled for looser/slacker boy.

Okay, I am over it. Now back to the show.

I thought of the premise of this article because the amount of distressed people who feel they are a failure when it comes to romance.

Therefore, my intent is not just to define real romantic love between a man and a woman.

I also want to help people grow by introspection. Introspection is a look in to the inner self that should result in a better understanding and growth and maturity.

We have to accept the fact that many of us were confused about love to begin with. They bought in to the romanticized version of love and thought that that is all there was to it.

Actually realling in the fish (or mermaid depending on your situation) is just the begging.

Figuring out how to not get on each other’s nerves is the rest of the equation.

Now I am sure you have heard about communication and bonding emotionally with your mate.

This is good.

However, making life interesting is the other part.

Of course, if you did not take the time to make sure you were really in love with the person you included in your life you are going to suffer for a long time.

See, when you are truly in love, you involve yourself in the person’s life. Togetherness is necessary in a long relationship.

When you were a young child with no true idea about what you were doing, you find yourself avoiding and trying to put distance between you and your mate.

Therefore, if you want to succeed in real love you have to know you are truly in love, communicate, emotionally bond with the person, and make life interesting.

Meals, dancing, going to events, traveling, and other activities can make life interesting.


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Comments
on Jul 28, 2005
I think love involves action, not just feeling.

I care for my wife even when I don't "feel" love for her, because that's what love is: giving to others even when we don't feel like it.

Warm fuzzies are nice, and romance is nice, and feeling happy and positive is nice... but those feelings don't always last, and if you're sharing your life with someone, you better be committed to acting lovingly towards them even when the nice feelings aren't there. Because that's what love really is--a choice.
on Jul 29, 2005
I think you are on the right track with some of your thoughts, but much of it seems simplistic or even like an immature or very young person's (this coming from a 26 year old) point of view.

Romantic love develops and grows over time, and as stutefish described very well above, it requires action. It is born of selflessness and concern for the needs and desires of the other person above your own.

Sometimes life is interesting, sometimes it is dreadful, sometimes it is chaotic. Romantic love thrives independent of this factor. Meals and dancing are wonderful, but toiling over homemade soup for a sick partner or crying with them over a lost opportunity can also strengthen the bond of romantic love.

It is a shared journey that promises stability in your bond despite the flurry of good and bad all around you. It is fulfillment in knowing that you are focused on the needs of another. It is safety and comfort because you are free to be yourself and be loved by another person despite your flaws, and it is joy in the opportunity to reciprocate.

The feelings are secondary to the actions.

stute:
Because that's what love really is--a choice.


I believe this whole-heartedly. Yes, yes, yes.