Often we are lead to believe that love is a positive emotion. Most of the time, it is. Nevertheless, love is not always good for you. I propose that love can be good and bad.
A man who has been smoking for nearly all of his life, loves his cigarettes, correct? But his love for cigarettes and smoking alike are not good for him. Why?
As well all know, cigarettes have the potential to cause serious harm to your health and well-being. So why does he still smoke? Well, apart from the fact that he doesn’t care about his own health or the health of others, and aside from the fact that tobacco is an addictive substance, he continues to smoke because he enjoys it. For whatever reasons that he seeked smoking initially, he continues to do so because he…dare I say it? He loves smoking.
An obese woman who knows eating junk food is dangerous to her health continues to do so because she loves food. Aside from the fact that she might, and probably does, have self-esteem issues and so forth, she loves eating. But she knows it has the potential to put her six feet under in no time, she still continues to do so because of her love for food and eating.
These are bad love.
So, what’s good love, I hear you ask? A child’s love of learning. A parent and child’s love for each other. A husband and wife who’s been married for 45 years and can still remember the first time they made love (not necessarily for that reason, but you can put whatever reason you wish) is a good type of love.
Sometimes, it’s difficult to distinguish good from bad. Hence, why we have teenage girls falling pregnant while still in school and the father has long run off. And why we have women who stay in abusive relationships. Bad love.
Perhaps, its a combination of addiction and blindness. Addiction to something that’s bad for us, while at the same time blind to that addiction. Hmm…Possible.
We can only hope, and if possible, try to make conscious decisions to choose the right type of love. Preferrably, the good type.
Cigarettes, anyone? No? How about cake?
