"Love, love, love...all you need is love...love is all you need..." The Beatles
We've all heard it before. The world would be a much better place, filled with lollipops and rainbows and cotton candy and unicorns, if we just learned to love.
I fully agree with that concept. Hatred melts at the sight of love in its purest forms. To embrace the faults, quirks and unique qualities of our fellow man is a step in the right direction.
But is it just me, or do people seem to love the word "love"? I must admit I'm guilty of it; we say we love anything nowadays. Which leads me to ask, what is love and has it lost all value to us?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary love is:
A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
A strong predilection or enthusiasm
I get it. We can love a variety of ways. Fondness comes in many shapes and forms. But such a connection, such a powerful emotion overwhelms a person, and undoubtedly can take time to develop. So why is it that mere acquaintances today declare their love for each other like salutations? Can we just be giving away our affection like Halloween candy?
For such a powerful emotion, love seems to be misunderstood. Perhaps what I perceive as the overuse of the word is really people's willingness to accept one another, regardless of their backgrounds, race, religion, sexual orientation and the like.
Or maybe I'm wrong. Weigh in on the subject, if you wish!
Regards,
Kanika
i agree that love is overused and often used in a context that strays from its true meaning. Often when someone does something that you approve of or completes a favor, people will say "omg I love you" instead of saying thank you (It may sound odd, but I remember hearing it every day in high school). However, at the same time I feel that the same loss of meaning has been attached to the word hate.
How would you suggest that we express true love if the word is overused to the point of a loss of meaning?
I tend to think that love and hate are related somehow. They are similarly intense emotions, they both cause you to think about someone/thing constantly. I think the antithesis of love is indifference. When you just really don't care one bit about a person's well-being, not even enough to wish harm on them because you just don't think about them or even see them...that is a problem. I think it is the feeling most often applied to the homeless, for example.
When someone has the energy to hate someone, something, or a group, that person will have the energy to work towards solving the perceived problem. Their perception of the problem may be misinformed or misguided, and their "solution" may be to harm the person or group who is the target of their hate, but perhaps the energy behind their strong feelings of hatred can be turned into a strong feeling of love with a little understanding of the other person's reality. That's why I think we need to put more effort into diplomacy. Talking through things with our enemies is the way to come to an understanding...not invading with military force, not legislating against civil rights.
ProU is a good place for trying out the other side's shoes.
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Love can represent an intense emotion, even if it's temporary. I can say I love ediblewoman when she does certain things (like moderate :)), because I feel so strongly about those actions at that time. That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm disregarding the meaning of love; simply that I feel strongly enough at that point to say it.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
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:grr:
Fanaile named it.
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
He he... I saw that earlier. It's so great.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
Want the highest rated list to change? RATE those blogs, then!
I suppose I'm just a typical teenager sick of hearing random declarations of love. Pretty soon, it's going to lose all value. I seem to be a firm believer in the mantra "actions speak louder than words". I've learned in a short time that as powerful and poignant as language can be, it can just as easily be a manipulative farce.
I don't think I've ever considered indifference in that light. You've given me a lot to consider! I guess it's hard to determine emotions at the moment we're experiencing them, so we identify them as something else? Bah. I've just messed with my "set in stone" personal philosophies. I sincerely thank you all for that! :dances: