On love
What will you answer if someone tells you ‘I love you’?
As of the moment, there are three answers that come to mind. These three answers will show how the recipient of the message is responding.
Thank you. This could probably be the lamest answer that one can give. Definitely, someone who has the guts to tell you that s/he loves you would expect a more meaningful response. That is not to say that appreciation of one’s admiration or affection is less meaningful, if not meaningless. Thank you is a response for a different statement. It’s not for ‘I love you’. Unless ‘thank you’ would be assigned a deeper meaning, it will be the lamest response.
I love you, too. Or maybe you want to take a notch or two higher by responding properly. ‘I love you, too.’ But of course, there is a condition here: That you also love the person who expressed his/her love for you. Otherwise, you can opt to respond the lamest way (see explanation above).
Also, when one responds ‘I love you, too’ the ‘too’ in the sentence means a mutual understanding of the meaning of ‘love’: That they agree on what love means for them, and that they agree to express such feelings to each other. But such a response is not a binding contract between the parties involve. It is simply an expression and more importantly an acceptance of such feeling and giving it back as an affirmation.
But what if they do not agree? What if one party does not understand? What could be the possible answer?
What is love? The last, and I believe the most meaningful, answer is to ask what love is. I do not demand for a well-meaning answer, nor an answer that can be used by all mankind. What do you mean when you say ‘love’? Our assumption earlier is that people express, accept and affirm love from another because they understand or they have a common perception of love. But what if they don’t?
Love is one of the many four letter words you can find in the dictionary. It could be assigned with various meanings, basically depending on who uses it and how it is used. When one uses the word ‘love’ s/he can be blinded by the feelings and emotions wrapping his/her heart, mind and body. That makes perfect love an illusion. And until such time that the two parties realize that they love each other the way they both understand, love will never be the same for the two of them. They will simply be enmeshed with an emotion they might not be able to escape, or worst bring them suffering and despair.
So when somebody tells you that s/he loves you, how will you respond?
