The concept of love seems so familiar yet, rarely understood. Love is one of the most frequently used words in our daily conversation, but unfortunately, we possess little knowledge if the term and its implications. In this contemporary era, love means quite different things to different people; the real meaning is completely disfigured. Terms like “falling in love”; love is blind,” etc, call for reflection on the moral question of the term itself and its implication. More so, some of our youths are ignorant of what love means. Some say “being in love” “likes someone”.
These statements are simply incredible. They reveal that love is generally but erroneously viewed from the perspective of instinctive attraction and emotional affection at the expense of the rational asset, personal conviction and deliberate decision.
The oxford advanced learners dictionary defines love as “the strong affection or deep and tender feeling for somebody or something”. If this is accepted, how can we explain the love for the poor, the sick, and above all, love for the enemy?. How can we love what is not pleasing to us? Granted that love can be ignited by emotional affection but at that stage, it is still infatuation. Love is not an instinctive act but a rational choice.
The foregoing reveals that immorality associated with love comes only when what we call love is a mere infatuation. For instance, “to fall in love”, is totally a contradiction if terms. We cannot fall deliberately; fall is only an accident and so cannot be associated with a deliberate choice. Love goes with responsibility and so, to “fall in love” simply means to rid man of his rational ability and put him at a level of brutes.
The same goes for expression like LOVE IS BLIND and so on. Love can’t be blind when the light of pure reason is illuminated. It has the eyes that pierce and see through the most opaque of visions. It is light and shines out in the darkness of human heart.
However, when we allow physical attraction to blind us from seeing the other as she/he really is, we let our emotions rule over our intellect.
Love therefore should not be regarded as immorality, as the so called youths of today see it but as a perfect virtue to be treasured.