We live in a society that glorifies love and relationships and presents them as the ultimate goals of life. There’s a perception that if you’re single, you’re missing something and that you’re incomplete. Movies, songs, and social media—all tell us that true happiness comes when you find “the one”. But what if that’s not entirely true? What if love and relationships are, actually, overrated?
Love is a beautiful illusion. At first, everything is easy and exciting. People enter relationships thinking they are stepping into a fairy tale, soon they realize that love takes work. It involves compromise, vulnerability, and also to withstand the monotonous and dull phase. They have to go through the trials too in a long-term commitment.
Relationships, too, lead many people to stress and frustration rather than fulfillment. The idea that another person can complete you is unrealistic. When things don’t go our way, our expectations fall into pieces and we feel incomplete and inadequate.
People chase love and relationships for the wrong reasons—out of fear of loneliness, social expectations, or a desire to conform. They settle for wrong partner, tolerate unhealthy relationships, and need someone else approval to validate their self-worth. They give up their control in other’s hands.
Perhaps, we romanticize love and relationships so much that we forget the value of self-love and freedom. The pressure of being in love or in a relationship can take away the joy of simply existing. Chasing the ideals of love and relationships as the most important thing is tiring and harmful. Life is full of many other experiences—self-discovery, career development, friendships, hobbies, and personal emotions. All of these are valid sources of happiness and require very little emotional labor. All we need is to change our perspective and invest our emotions in the right place.
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