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Is romantic love real?
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Romantic love is unlike any other kind of love

Romantic love is felt distinctly and intensely. Its unique nature differentiates it from any other type of love, thus proving that it exists.

The Argument

Romantic love is unlike any other kind of love because of its characteristics. While someone can love a romantic partner just as much as a sibling or a best friend, romantic love takes up an entirely different realm of the human emotional realm. Where someone is often born or adopted into familial love, or they choose platonic love, romantic love can be described best as an involuntary pull toward someone. It is far more intense and overwhelming than any other kind of love. Research on romantic love by phycologists show that people categorize romantic love with certain characteristics. Key characteristics of knowing someone loves you include: support without expectation of anything in return, compassion in difficult times, quality time together, being told you are loved, feeling special and appreciated, and being forgiven for something you did wrong. [1] Selfless care is another characteristic of romantic love.[1] The three main concepts of romantic love are intimacy, passion, and commitment. [2] All of these emotions are deep and very real, proving the concept of romantic love.

Counter arguments

Every person sees romantic love differently. Some believe it only comes through constant work and some believe it is a myth.[3] Psychologists theorize that the beginning of love is just the collapse of an ego and that romantic love has more to do with individual changes than a connection with someone else. [3] The ideals and characteristics of romantic love change throughout history. The idea of romantic love has changed drastically in the past decades. Romantic love has shifted away from traditional gender roles of wives caring for their husbands while the men go out and work.[4] Historically, romantic love looked -- and felt, very different than it does today. Romantic love is not real because it is always changing, and the meaning of what romantic love varies from person to person.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/longing-nostalgia/201712/is-there-really-true-love
  2. https://www.southuniversity.edu/news-and-blogs/2016/08/the-psychology-behind-love-and-romance-70700#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20triangular%20theory,intimacy%2C%20passion%2C%20and%20commitment.&text=%E2%80%9CRomantic%20love%20evolves%20when%20one,being%20met%2C%E2%80%9D%20Kane%20says.
  3. https://www.mindthatego.com/myth-of-romantic-love/
  4. https://markmanson.net/romantic-love
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 30 Sep 2020 at 13:52 UTC