What is Love in the 21st Century?
As I reflect on the great love stories of our grandparents’ generation, I can’t help but speculate on the love stories that will be passed on from my generation of post-baby-boomers. Will the stories be of great adventures, lifelong partnerships and happy marriages or will it be a series of messy divorces, short-lived romances and fleeting affairs with very little happily-ever-afters?
We live in an era where traditional values of family, love and honor is lost in the midst of individualistic desires and dreams. Divorce is now the norm rather than the exception and unattached singles are increasingly desperate and creative in their games of pursuit. I watch those around me (myself included) fall in and out of love, marry and divorce, floating from one person to the next in hopes of finding someone who will not only enhance the beauty in our lives but is also strong enough to stand by us through the inevitable trials and tribulations of life. So we go out; we network; we meet people and keep tabs on the prospects, hoping and anxiously waiting for someone to come through. But even when someone does and we think we have found our life partner, the relationship still falls apart and we then wonder why. What went wrong? We analyze every detail in that relationship and, if you are like me, read every book on love available in search of answers though no explanation is really sufficient. We eventually give up, move on and put it down to a matter of destiny and fate – it was just not meant to be. But even then, with the gods watching over our love lives, guiding and choosing for us (if you believe in such a thing), the chances of a relationship surviving still seems slim.
Just going by the ugly statistics on divorce, infidelity and unwed single mothers, the love stories of our time seems more likely to be about messy divorces, short-lived romances and fleeting affairs unless we redefine the values and rewrite the playbook for Love in the 21st Century. The purpose of this blog is to explore and reflect upon the rules of the playbook, seeking to find answers that will lead to a “happily-ever-after”. So stay tuned for stories, reflections and observations on people, love and relationships.
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Tony,
Another insightful and clever analogy! You make an excellent point about capitalistic values creeping into the private sphere. This is definitely a topic worth exploring. I’m adding it to the list for future discussion.
Thanks for your feedback!
Meg
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Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.
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Hello Bodyc,
The goal is to publish every 3 days for now and as long as I can manage. But given that I’m a corporate lackey by day and working on another writing project on top of this one, there may be occasional delays. If you subscribe to the blog or become a fan of the Fan Page on Facebook, you’ll receive notifications every time a new entry is posted.
Thanks for reading and commenting! Your feedback and interest is the inspiration that motivates me to write! Thank you!
Meg
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Amazing! Not clear for me, how offen you updating your loveinthe21stcentury.net.
Bodyc
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There’s nothing wrong with ‘good’… good always has the potential to become better and best, but when you find the ‘best’ where do you go from there?
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Hi Meg,
How funny you mention “constant thirst for something better”, I’ve been discussing this issue with an array of people, showbiz, corporate, etc.
In my own view, this constant thirst for something better is really part of our overall system and values in sort. Capitalism dictates taking the “highest bidder” (the best pricing option in market terms) and that concept has rolled over into every facet of society, dating, marriage, jobs, etc.
We think the grass is greener on the other side, but by the time we get there, we realize it’s so complex and stressful, that grass is now yellow.
So I think until we change our values in our culture, a lot is going to remain the same, unless people are able to segment off the business mind of “Highest Bidder” from their social/dating/love life.
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Good point, Karishma! We seem to be living in a time where the beauty of the present is overshadowed by this ongoing pursuit of the next best thing. There is a constant thirst for something better, but what if this is as good as it gets?
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I’m looking forward to see what this blog has every three days. I was told once that if I want to be “In Love” forever, relationships take work. I was also told “If it’s a great decision to leave today, it will be next week.” I’ve learned that relationships take a lot of work, and yes, like a job you may not like even if you work at that you may end up liking or even loving your job.
Thanks!
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I’ve realized that our generation is addicted to looking for the next best thing. Before it used to be the next best home, car, clothing, now it has permeated to our love lives. Why do people not look around them to enjoy the good that is there now rather than search for the next best person in their life.
Send me back 10 years when things were much simpler with the knowledge I have now.
Thanks for starting this blog, Meg. xoxo
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Can’t wait to read the next piece!
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I love your site and wish you all the best. I am looking forward to reading your posts!!!! Your stories are inspiring.
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Hello All!
Welcome to “Love in the 21st Century”, a blog about love and relationships and coming to terms with the world we live in today. This is my first blog entry which is a general musing on the current state of love and relationships. It’s rather short and light with the heavy stuff to come every few days so tune in on September 6th for my next piece on roles in relationships.
Happy reading!
Meg
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