To Like or to Love...an analysis

Who do you like? It's a question every teenager is bound to hear at least three times more than they wanted to. Probably more. What does it really mean? I like ice cream means a completely different thing than I like Billy. If a college student says "I like Gertrude." it would be taken as a friendly admiration. If a 22 year old says "I love Randy" it will be taken as a romantic, tender feeling. If I say I love Quint, people will look at it as a friendly admiration. But what if I was to say "I like (a cute boy's name here)"?

High school. Hormones. The two are so intertwined that you can barely separate them. My mother went in the school after classes got out, and was totally embarassed by all the couples' behavior. The environment is a breeding ground for...can we call it romance? If you can tell me five couples that began dating in high school, and are still together, happily, I will give you half of the clothing I own. I agree that the feeling that causes the high school relationships is a strong one...but is it love?

I tend to say no. Many of these people barely know eachother. Those who do usually end up hating eachother later. Friendship is much more important, and will last past the relationship, if you are truly friends. Talking to eachother. I know maybe one high school couple who actually spends the time to TALK. They help eachother get through things, and have been through a lot. I don't see them involving themselves in PDA, or see any signs of them involving themselves in PrivateDA. They show their affection by understanding, by always being there. They know eachother, and are really good friends. If I ever were to have a relationship (although I won't for a good couple years) I would hope mine would be a lot like theirs.

The term..."Like." "like like." or like if you will. There is a reason it means less than love. I am surprised that some highschooler had the maturity to realize this difference and use a different word. In the dictionary, the definitions for like never use the words love, romantic feeling, or even crush. Why have we started to use it? It's a sign of little personal commitment. It's a sign of a temporary situation. Merely a preference. I think the term describes the feeling very well.

Is it possible for a high school aged person to actually feel love? That is a difficult thing to decide. I know that it is possible, but I am forced to call it very unlikely. As a whole, teens are somewhat selfish, perhaps not more than adults, but this is the reality. Usually, MY grade is more important, who I will have more fun with, what I want to do. This is often not the case, but we naturally think this way. Most teenage relationships are selfish, and all about immediate pleasure. When we find that we truly care about others more than ourselves is when we have really grown up. That usually doesn't come until the 20's. Commitment is another factor. Only a few teenagers really would like to get married immediately. The ones that do are usually troubled, and/or horribly mistaken in their view of the world. We know the relationship won't last; we know we probably won't see the person after high school. If we were mature enough to feel actual selfless devotion and love, we wouldn't allow ourselves to, because of the absolute hopelessness of it all.

Liking is temporary; liking is fun; liking is a learning experience for the real thing. Liking is nowhere near the emotion of true love. Why, then, does it hurt so much?