This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
June arrived packed in a little box full of red hearts: Valentine’s Day in Brazil. Not just a day, but a whole month where declarations on love are constantly reproduced, flowers arrangements are made and chocolate are bought, all to give a representation of that subject that crosses centuries, culture, religion and science: love.
Love is a feeling that anyone can experience. Whether you like it or not, you will pass through this emotional state. It inhabits human beings in an inevitable way, it doesn’t matter how it expresses itself, you will find it. Despite being so present in our lives, love is still one of the most complex mysteries in human existence.
Everything that it’s unknown, is determined by the human instinct as not safe. And yet, people choose to experience love and still give themselves completely to this feeling. But how can we deal with something that is bound to happen to anyone? That is why love can be an innovative topic, but at the same time timeless.
An old theme? Yes, but never out of style
Since ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment or even dictatorship government, love was on the agenda. Either in the form of poetry, art, music or even breaking the censorship barrier. It is never out of style and it is always at the center of human thoughts.
According to Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, we search for love as a way to fill a blank space in ourselves. In his production The Banquet he presents the idea that humans originally had four legs, four arms and two faces. One day, the mortal beings angered Zeus, who punished them by cutting them in half. Since then, we wander looking for our “other half”, our soulmate.
Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher, presents the idea that love is just a natural trick to guarantee human beings’ species. As something property biological that reflects on sexual desire. Nature uses seduction as a tool to procreate as a survival reaction.
On the other hand, for Simone de Beauvoir, love is not about suffering or biology. The French writer believed that love is an opportunity for growth. True love doesn’t cancel us out but pushes us forward. Instead of looking for someone who completes us, she suggests a kind of love that adds, where the couple grow up together. It’s something like a deep friendship and a self-discovery relationship.
The whirlwind of emotions that go hand in hand with love
Regardless of the various theses, if romantic love has a purpose or even a formula, it is still unknown. And maybe, we don’t even need an explanation. Sometimes, we keep choosing to live around love, because it makes life seem more meaningful. Even when it hurts. Even when it doesn’t last. And even when in the midst of the unknown, we still choose to go through the whirlwind of feelings that include love.
It could go anywhere: jealousy, dependence, vulnerability, desire, significance… It’s scary, but also exciting. At the same time as we can lose ourselves in it, we can find a pretty new version of us. And only those who are willing to face it can find their way. And who is willing to face it?
The right to love
June is also marked by LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, a celebration that enriches the discourse of love as an act of courage. As well as the willingness to love, freedom also comes into this question. A love that escapes from society’s standards and assumptions. Love is already too complicated to be restricted. Celebrating love in this context is also to defend the existence and dignity of all affections.
In the end…
At the end of the day, love is certainly one of the most extreme roller coasters we can face. We don’t understand why we decided to get on, but we buckle up and enjoy the ride. And between the ups and downs, the adrenaline of loving and being loved will always speak louder and exceed any looping and cold in the belly.
After going through love, no one comes out unscathed. Once it hits up, it transforms us and leaves its mark. It’s revolutionary, but timeless. And it transcends us in a deep way.
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The article above was edited by Larissa Prais.
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