What is Love? (and don't ask Justin Beiber) | Teen Ink

What is Love? (and don't ask Justin Beiber)

November 18, 2010
By Steamer GOLD, Columbus, Ohio
Steamer GOLD, Columbus, Ohio
18 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is so fragile, yet so dangerous." ---I said this in a dream I had


What is love? Is it an unbreakable bond between mother and child or a natural quest reserved only for lovers? Is it a fathomable aspect of human emotion or is it an illusion that transforms faster than the moon changes phases? The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines love as “strong affection or liking for someone or something”, but present-day teenage culture has proven that being in love can change between class periods. To me, love is just a four letter word that tries to define a sensation out of its league. “I LOVE your shoes!”, “I LOVE this pizza.”, “I LOVE you, but I’m not ready for a commitment.”, “ily <333 lol ttyl”. Since when was it acceptable to abbreviate something so passionate? In a perfect world, love would not be aimed at the superficial likings of today and would be defined as: “GO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF (and stop listening to phony love songs)”. Alas, in this imperfect society, I am forced to tell you that love is need for someone or something. Need, desire, and yearning. It’s an intensity that can glue people together against their will.

What I am talking about is true, blue, “Be still, my beating heart” love. Not the three-syllable phrase that is gargled around after a one month “anniversary”. Love can take many forms, but taken as a whole it is hard work that cannot be achieved merely through late-night texting. We, as humans, only work hard for the things that we need. Parents work hard to provide food and shelter. Students work hard in school for an education. Athletes work hard because their sport generates a type of bliss that is irreplaceable. Similarly, lovers (this includes family) must work hard if they expect to maintain a resilient relationship.

“Resilient?” You may ask. Why, yes. Resilient. Take the classic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, for example. Their love was so strong that love’s worst enemy (hatred) could not overtake it. SPOILER WARNING. So what if they both ended up dead, stabbed, or betrayed? They loved each other until the last breath and everybody knows it must have been hard work for Romeo to climb up to Juliet’s balcony like he did.



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This article has 2 comments.


on Nov. 28 2010 at 12:03 pm
Daisja.J SILVER, New York, New York
9 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
be you because no one can do you better than you.

To me love can only be what you feel inside.It's a very diverse feeling from hate,passion and lust.It gives you this feeling like your floating on air then sometimes you can feel worse than dirt.Why?Well because love can be complicated at times and so difficult that you wanna cry or give up.But when you don't , thats real love.:)

on Nov. 28 2010 at 8:57 am
I liked how you connected to Romeo and Juliet at the end. Awesome article!