Love in the United States

According to Dictionary.com love is defined as, a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.  Love can defined in many ways to different people and allowing one definition to spell out what it means to you is restricting the natural animalistic instinct of human beings. 

In the United States, love is viewed entirely different than any other country.  In the United States societies high standards on women affects the way Americans view love, or lust.  Women work hard to achieve the idealistic “perfect woman” body and attitude.  Stressing everyday to look the part in case “the one” is ran into.  Hours in front of the mirror putting on a “pretty girl disguise” to fit the norm of society, training at the gym trying to get that supermodel body, has made dating and love a superficial “job.”

In the United States finding love and not just lust can be very discouraging.  The American society has made it acceptable to juggle numerous “potential partners” making dating an exhausting experience.  The romance of meeting someone special and dating has been lost. 

Movies and music have enforced this idea that about having multiple partners is the “cool” thing to do and that it is acceptable.  Teenagers and young adults tend to steer away from formal dating and traditional relationships and go for casual no-strings relationships with one other.  With the acceptance of these “hookups,” many teens and young adults carry this idea into the rest of their lives.

According to the 2000 Census, for the first time in history, American singles outnumber married couples with children.  Single people now account for more than 40 percent of the population.  And single women outnumber single men by 1.3 to 1.

Although love is often confused with lust, there is still hope for love in the United States.  Finding someone special that loves you for who you are even when you don’t have pounds of make-up on, a tight little black dress, and 6 inch heels, is someone to hang on to.  Letting yourself fall for someone and forgetting about what society tells you love is, can be the difference between a “hookup” and a partner for life.   Keeping standards and not caving into the materialist society, love is always achievable to those who are willing try.