Love cannot be strictly defined because it represents many forms and types. It is universal, complex, and multidimensional. True love and respect can be expressed in many ways, not just through romance.
In the context of a relationship with another person, true love is described as a bond (community) between two people. Those two have a deep attachment, care, respect, and obligations to each other.
What Love Is Not?
We are often under the influence of romantic movies and reactions on a hormonal level. Many people call true love everything that looks absolutely wonderful to the eye and is socially acceptable. Therefore, do not automatically call four-month relationships, romantic relationships, people who show affection in public, newly married couples or many years of marriage with children love. None of us know what lies behind it because love is complicated, and its core is elusive.
Love is not intimate passion and jealousy. Love is not manipulating your partner to achieve only what you want. It is not loving each other until the next problem arises. Love is not isolating your partner, often caused by that initial jealousy. It is not stalking your partner. True love and respect are not invading someone’s privacy and prohibiting them from socializing with the opposite (or maybe even the same) sex. Love is not forbidding your partner’s right to choose and make decisions.
We all sometimes make decisions that we wish we had never made. However, the relationship and the decision of consciously choosing a partner should not be something like that. We should not form love according to social expectations and check all the imposed rules of life. Since we are mostly an environment that is guided by such principles, I often see people who have unknowingly embarked on something they really don’t want. First of all, we must have a love for ourselves and our desires in order to continue building what we want with another person consciously.
A relationship (marriage) is not something that must be done but something that should beautify and facilitate life and further development.
Marriage (relationship), even love, is an obligation but not a punishment!
What is love?
Love is not just a romantic gesture and initial passion that quickly fades. In my opinion, an essential component of love is respect. Although it is not a word that causes applause, respect is something that every person deserves. Respect makes the relationship (marriage) develop to such an extent that it is sometimes pleasantly unrecognizable.
Examples of True Practical Love
- Love is when you wake up every day with the thought of choosing your partner again.
- Love is when you are free to communicate and know how to listen to each other.
- Love is when you do the same thing every day for your loved one because you know he is worth it.
- Love is when you choose to be the only one who stands by your partner because you believe in him.
- Respect is when you don’t tell anyone your love problems. Your home is a safe place where problems are solved through communication. We are not children. If the first thing that comes to your mind is to speak with your best friend, then ask yourself what your communication with your partner is really like.
- Love is when something sad happens to you both, but you find the strength to be there for each other.
- Respect is when you trust your partner and his decisions, no matter how far that person is from you.
Friendship in True Love
- Love is when your partner is your true friend and support. That is the person with whom you will experience the greatest joys and sorrows in life.
- Love is when, instead of leaving and denying, you stay with your partner for hours to talk and try to resolve the situation.
- Love is the union of two people who have agreed on their obligations and distribution of work in their house.
- Respect is when you are aware that you don’t like to clean the house or prepare a meal. Instead of ignoring, you provide something that represents your replacement in those responsibilities.
- Love is when the two of you are alone, with a child, or with a pet.
- Respect is when you give space to your partner to develop himself. In order for him to love you, he has to love himself as well.
- Love is when your partner feels safe next to you enough to express himself emotionally and not be laughed at for it.
- Love does not mean that you have the same views, and your diversity helps you find new and interesting solutions.
- In the end, love and respect are built over time and years and are not obtained by pressing a button.
In conclusion
In honor of all that, dear women and men, happy every day (or any particular day) in which we give each other true love, respect, and wonderful company.
Accept that rose, dinner, or gift today; why not? But know that with that acceptance, you consciously confirm all the decisions and obligations that stand behind that.
Here is the YSL Beauty short campaign film “Don’t Call It Love,” which discusses signs of abuse in relationships. Romantic movies sometimes portray those signs in a bad way, as signs of affection and love. The video inspired me to write this text, which represents my understanding of true love.
