Is love overrated?

[Shanbiz]

In the society we live, I believe people are more becoming lovers of money than lovers of other people. However I see where many younger folks are going crazy over trying to meet the Mr. Right or Mrs. Right. But I think at times we create too much of a hype around the topic of love. Some people murder their former spouse who might have 'fallen out of love', others commit suicide while others never try dating again because of a broken heart. But I believe while it is important to love, love it is not what determines how long or strong a relationship is or will be. From my point-of-view being able to communicate and relate well to each other is of greater importance. 

[Postitgirl]

Is love overrated? Great question. I would have to say yes and no. 

On the 'yes' side, I think that love is overrated in the sense that people commonly make no distinction between loving someone and being 'in love' with someone. Studies have shown that these really are two different phases of a relationship. Modern society seems to equate the intense, exciting 'in love' phase with love, and this seems to be a case of overrating love because it gives an unrealistic weight and priority to the shortest, least representative phase of a long-term romantic relationship.

On the other hand, i believe that love is seriously underrated in the sense that people do not seem to find it very important to maintain a feeling of love of their fellow (wo)man deep in their hearts and/or in the forefront of their minds. I know that sounds incredibly corny, but currently, the accepted norm seems to be one of self-love/self-protection, yet this is completely at odds with what recent research is finding truly makes human beings happy (as measured by things like neurotransmitter levels, brain activity, and self-report). If the accepted standard was to truly care about others, the world (and our experience of it) would be totally different. I think it would be so much better for everyone that not prioritizing, encouraging, teaching, emphasizing, expecting, demanding, practicing, maintaining (etc.) a deep-rooted love for humanity seems to me to be an undeniable sign that it is underrated, by society and by individuals.

[MsCarrotCake]

In case you meant being in love with a person I'd say yes, it's overrated. Look at any forum you know and see how each and every one of them is being flooded with love posts. "My girlfriend is taking .5 seconds longer to respond to my messages, what should I do?" "My boyfriend told me he was going to have a beer but he's still online on Facebook, do you think he's chatting with another girl?" Love causes so much drama in people's lives, and I don't understand why people would say it's all "worth it". Maybe because we all have this image of the average cheesy romantic movie in our minds, and all strive for happiness. The thing is that unlike in movies, our lives do NOT end after we have found true love; it will continue, and that's when the drama, the cheating and the desperate topics on forums come in.

[JonSilvers]

The concept of 'true love' and 'love at first sight' are greatly exaggerated in movies and television. The idea that everything in a relationship will go smoothly is pure fantasy. The couples that really love each other are the ones that do not give up on each other - despite all the hurdles.