Love

Love, according to one of my friends is merely a manifestation of the human psyche. It is just a way of defining a relationship. It is just a concept, not something that exists, similar to the concept of infinity in the number system. I’m afraid anyone who harbours such or similar opinions is closing his/her eyes to the best thing in the world – love. Love is real. It definitely exists.

Love, is however misinterpreted by many. People tend to classify love in several types – love between parent and child, love between siblings, love between girlfriend and boyfriend (also sometimes referred to as sexual love), love between close friends, etc. Love is actually the same in all cases. It is deep affection for someone and being unconditional in this affection. That is why the same word “love” is used in all cases.

Our parents “love” us unconditionally. They accept us as we are. They may not appreciate several of our characteristics, but that does not make them refrain from loving us. Even if a child acts in ways his/her parents do not approve of, the parents still love him/her, still care for him/her. The same thing can be said for siblings and friends.

The love between girlfriend and boyfriend is often mistaken as merely lust. This is not so. If there is “love” in the true sense of the word, then both must accept each other the way he/she is and have unconditional affection for him/her. Those who think fidelity is love are highly mistaken. One who breaks up with his/her partner for interacting with members of the opposite sex has never learned to love. Such a person has not even learnt trust – the basic precondition for love. A person who “falls in love” just by looking at someone is again someone who is alien to love. Such a person is just using the word “love” for infatuation.

Love requires trust, affection, fondness, sacrifice and several other things. Mere endowment of earthly things is not love. Love goes much beyond all this. Love involves being happy for the other person, sharing his/her joys and sorrows, caring, etc.

Love is the best thing in the world. It is probably the reason why we as humans haven’t rendered ourselves extinct.

Narrow Mindedness

Apart from the voyeuristic tendencies of human beings (very well described by Bhanuj in his post “A Species of Voyeurs”), an unpleasant thing about human beings is their narrow mindedness. Humans like to keep things the way they are and resist changes and reforms. We get satisfied with the way things are and thus oppose new things. We are so narrow minded that we fail to realize that the change may be for the better.

The narrow mindedness of humans is not something unique to the modern day. During the ancient times, the Romans burnt libraries of books compiled by the Greeks as they refused to accept the knowledge of the Greeks. In the medieval times, the Church was adamant with its dogma of “Christianity”. It refused to accept anything contrary to its ideas. Thus, great men like Galileo Galilei were suppressed along with their contributions to human knowledge. During the early twentieth century, the Nazi burned several books as the contents of the books did not match the beliefs. There are countless such examples in the history of the human race which give evidence of human narrow mindedness.

At home parents generally are narrow-minded and oppose the differences in their children’s childhood, with respect to their own childhoods. How many parents allow their younger ones to interact freely with the members of the opposite sex, especially of the same age group, and not try to spy or interfere? How many parents are ready to talk to their children about topic like sex, drugs, etc, and not classify them as taboo? I’m afraid the number is too less. I would like to add here that there are several exceptions here that I’m very glad about, including my own parents.

The narrow mindedness can be seen even in everyday life. A person who dares to think differently is constantly opposed and ridiculed. He/she is made an object of amusement by others. Thus, such a person’s social life becomes miserable.

The narrow mindedness is the culprit in the slow progress of the human race. Fortunately there are always exceptions to this, which helps us humans to progress. In mythology, Adam and Eve would have lived in paradise had they not plucked the forbidden fruit. However, Eve was open-minded and was ready to sacrifice a bit of happiness for knowledge. She was ready for change.

There are numerous examples of people in the history of the human race, who have tried to bring change and reform in spite of the stiff resistance of the community. It is due to the efforts of such great human beings that we as humans have grown and developed as a species. I hope more of us humans realize the essence of reform and overcome the narrow-minded approach towards life.