6/15/2022
What is Love?
[1] Everyone has felt it at some point, whether for a person, a pet, or even a non-living
item. That sensation is known as love. Love can be felt in all degrees of intensity; it might absorb
your entire being, or it can be as simple as a crush. Some people seem to spend their whole lives
looking for love, whilst others appear to fall in and out of love regularly. Of course, we're talking
about humans here. We can love numerous things, but the love between two individuals is
exceptional and one-of-a-kind.
[2] Because everyone experiences love differently, it is difficult to describe. What one
person perceives as love may be perceived as infatuation by another, and vice versa. How can a
person know whether he or she is in love? How can one tell the difference between romantic love
and love shared between friends? To comprehend love, we must first comprehend the two basic
sorts of love: romantic love and friendship love.
[3] People frequently distinguish romantic love from friendship love. Would you kiss
your pal? Perhaps, but what you do with your romantic partner isn't always what makes your
love romantic. Because it is so all-consuming, romantic love is sometimes misunderstood as
infatuation. Romantic partners are usually thinking about one other. A person's love partner may
influence decisions such as whether or not to relocate to a different province for a career and
leave his or her spouse behind. People base major life decisions on their love relationships since
they can't envisage their lives without them. Romantic love directs a person's thoughts and can
occasionally obscure what the best option is. After all, romantic love has the potential to be
extraordinarily unselfish.
[4] In his play The Tempest, William Shakespeare, one of the most ardent supporters of
romantic love, compares passionate love to intoxication. Romantic love, like too much alcohol or
happy drugs, takes over a person's senses and alters his or her worldview. A madly-in-love
individual is considered to have a "permasmile" and is difficult to make miserable. It's no
surprise that most individuals seek romantic love rather than the simple affection shared between
friends.
[5] Friendship love is a gentler form of love since it does not dominate a person's every
waking second with thoughts of the other person. Friendship love may frequently transform into
passionate love, as it has many times throughout history, however, the birth of romantic love
between friends often kills the love of friendship. Friends who become romantic lovers may
seldom return to being "just friends." What causes romantic love to be so powerful? Friendship
love may be quite powerful, but the emotional depth of romantic love eternally destroys the
simplicity of friendship love.
[6] Friendship love does not appear to follow the same rules as passionate love. Each
buddy couple may have their type of love for one another. Girlfriends may have a different level
of friendship and affection for one another than a male and female buddy couple. The same may
be said for two guy pals. Male-female friends may face a lot of pressure from other friends and
family to change their friendship love into romantic love due to cultural rules that have been in
place for years. Friends may breach a boundary, and understanding that line distinguishes
between romantic love and friendship love.
[7] Friendship love is best defined as a nice feeling shared by two individuals. Friends
prefer to do things together, thus a person naturally wants to be with her buddy. If your buddy is
injured, you want to help him; if your friend is upset, you are also angry. Friends who care about
each other want to make each other happy; they want to be confidants, cathartic outlets, and
companions. Friendship love is frequently equated to sibling love. A sibling may be just as
terrific a buddy as any other. Society does not allow romantic love between cousins, but
friendship love is welcomed and beautiful to watch when it occurs.
[8] So, now that we know the difference between romantic and friendship love, do we
have a better understanding of love? Maybe not. Everyone feels love differently and may
disagree with the definitions provided here. In the end, it makes little difference if your type of
love falls into any of the categories. Love is subjective, but what matters is that it makes people
happy. There is no space for hatred when people love one another.
Works Cited
The Tempest: Entire Play, [Link]