360 Degrees: Love

Love is one of the most enigmatic characteristics in the human life. Falling in love and getting married is right next to birth in death in significance of events (as described in "Our Town"). But one of the most controversial questions is, what does falling in love really mean?

People say that opposites attract. Sometimes someone so seemingly perfect for you is not perfect at all. But, especially in more primordial time, people often had arranged marriages and married for status or wealth. King Tut married his own half cousin just so they would keep money in the family! Values change over time, so who should get married is contingent on the time period. But still, falling in love is an unconditional feeling, which we can view from many angles and try to determine general features of two people who will fall in love.

There are two "appearances" of a person: the inner appearance and the outward appearance. Outward appearances include beauty, physical features, and other aesthetic characteristics such as wealth (or how fancy someone dresses). Inward appearances include personality, hobbies, intelligence, emotions, comfortableness, openness, etc.

Many people say "beauty is only skin deep", referencing how one's physical features may be attractive, but on the inside, they are a completely unappealing person. Now people say not to judge a book by it's cover. But looking at it from multiple angles, it is easy to overlook the fact that any initial attraction between two people begins physically. For example, if there is someone who may have a very compatible personality with me, but who I have never met before, if I am not attracted to them physically, I may not have the guts to go and talk to them. Also, many would argue that physical attractions often hold a couple together. Humans are built with an innate urge to physically bond with someone else, and these feelings, no matter how shallow they may be, always exist. So, you see, a physical attraction is necessary for a love relationship.

That doesn't go without saying that an intellectual attraction is needed as well. Most failed relationships, as the general observes in all the celebrity breakups, began with a physical attraction. So then I guess we can conclude that beyond the physical attraction, an intellectual bond truly shows that two people are compatible. That being said, to formulate true love, a balance is required between intellectual and physical attraction.