Love is a complicated emotion that has been around for centuries. However, in today’s world, love has changed for the better and for the worse.
We are fortunate to have developed technology that allows us to communicate with each other and share information about ourselves with others. This is why we have become so open about our lives on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. But this was not always the case. Love has quite different meanings back than in older times.
Old love was more based on a person’s looks, physical features, and need for intimacy but as the world progressed the word ‘love’ has changed its meaning a lot. New love is more based on mutual understanding, feelings, emotional dependence, a feeling of connectivity yet personal space, and of course, happiness.
Throughout this article, I’ll compare being in love at older ages with being in love in recent times. You’ll also explore other things you need to consider in a person besides love.
So let’s explore it without further ado!
Old Love
The difference between love and attraction was very vague in older times. Love in the old times was different from love in the new era because it was based on physical attraction rather than emotional attachment toward someone else.
The attraction too was based on lust in most cases, which means that it was only physical attraction that made you fall in love with somebody else. Basically, there wasn’t a very clear distinction between bodily needs and emotional feelings.
In some countries, it was the girl’s father who used to find a guy for her to marry, and obedience was strictly expected in this matter back then.
New Love
Nowadays, people are more open about their feelings towards others as well as sharing their details with each other, such as what they like and dislike about their partners or spouses. Modern love starts when two people start taking an interest in each other. They spend time together, have dinners, watch movies or go on walks; such a time is called a ‘date’.
Another way the modern world works is called ‘courtship’ where a man and a woman start living together and over the course of time check whether they are both compatible with each other or not.
There has been a rise in cases of separation in recent times. Because everyone fantasizes about their love life and growing media outlets have set quite impossible standards for us, divorce rates have also increased. People part ways when they don’t get the kind of love they dream of.
Love vs. Lust
| Love | Lust |
| Involves passion and compassion | There’s only sexual attraction |
| When you love someone you get emotionally connected | Physical desires keep two people connected in lust |
| It can last as minimum as two years and as maximum as 7 years | Lasts up to two years or less |
Other Factors That You Need To Consider
There are a lot of other things that your partner should have besides love:
- A strong personality
- Self-confidence and self-esteem
- The ability to be independent and to take care of yourself
- A sense of humor (even if it’s not as good as yours)
- The ability to communicate clearly with others
Is It Okay To Stay With Someone You Don’t Love?
Most of us know that it’s not a good idea to stay in a relationship with someone who doesn’t love you anymore. But the decision to move out of a relationship involves many other factors too.
It majorly depends on your current relationship status, whether you have kids together, and more importantly, how much love you feel between yourself and your partner.
If you are single, then it is wise for you to focus on yourself first and then think about what could be good for your future relationships later on. Do not let someone else’s opinion keep you away from what matters most—such as your happiness and well-being as an individual.
If both partners are willing to work hard together, then they might be able to build a strong enough foundation for them to grow together as individuals without any major problems in their lives.
How To Move On and Heal After Breakup?
You may feel like there is no way forward after a break-up unless you can find someone else who loves you as much as you deserve. Unfortunately, while these feelings are real and understandable, you shouldn’t prevent yourself from moving on and finding happiness again—even if your ex is still around.
It’s not easy to leave a person you once shared so many of the same interests, goals, and values. But if that person is no longer the same, there’s no use to live with him.
It’s easy to blame yourself for not being enough or good enough for them. It’s easy to feel like an idiot for having fallen in love with someone who didn’t care about you at all.
The first step toward healing after heartbreak is accepting that what once was won’t always remain so — and that your ex may never truly reciprocate your feelings. This means that it’s okay to begin rebuilding your life without the person who broke it off.
How To Avoid Abuse?
Some intimate relationships in this world go hand in hand with abuse. The abuse can include physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse.
However, it is not true that loving someone does not mean that you should stay in an abusive relationship. It takes a lot of courage, strength, and determination to get out of one.
It’s important to remember that abuse in intimate relationships does not always leave visible signs like physical violence, but rather it often takes the form of emotional breakage. No matter how it’s happening or what kind of abuse you’re experiencing from your partner, it’s always alarming.
How Long Does a New Love Last?
Based on the relationships of the modern world, most intimate relationships start fading away within six months. The euphoric feeling begins subsiding at such a time and you start noticing the differences in personalities.
Clashes emerge and the couples start rethinking their priorities, but if the feelings of love are greater than these arguments, love wins, and both partners adjust by accommodating these differences.
Can Old Love Come Back?
People often, when they are in a relationship, start taking each other for granted and end up drifting apart. Only once they move away from each other do they start missing and valuing their ex-partner. Both of them want to rejoin their loved ones but are afraid to make the first move.
If you experience such a thing and your partner happens to be the one making the move toward you, it is advisable to welcome your old love back with open arms. It has been seen that lovers, after experiencing such a hiatus in their relationship, become even closer and more affectionate toward each other.
Conclusion
- Over time, love has evolved. Ancient people had a more difficult time expressing their feelings than we do today.
- Marriage was the most common way for people in the old days to get to know each other. You can say that love was first introduced by poetry.
- Old love was more based on a person’s looks, physical features, and need for intimacy but as the world progressed the word ‘love’ has changed its meaning a lot.
- New love is more based on mutual understanding, feelings, emotional dependence, and a feeling of connectivity yet personal space and happiness.
- Nowadays, people don’t marry without making sure the person is actually the right one for them.