Baldassare Castiglione said, “in youth, senses are easily excitable because of desolation of the spirit, urge of the flesh to possess beauty,deprived of spiritual contemplation, soul itself cannot perceive the truth filled with errors and mistakes.” Don’t you think, nothing could explain “love in youth” in a better way than this statement by Castiglione? I truly believe every word in his definition of love is aptly put, and we have all been a victim of it! But then, what are we really looking for?
Yes it is a very subjective topic to talk about, even more vital than several debates going on, because we are all affected by the relationships we get into each day. Love is as amateur a word to me as I am in understanding love, but these few years of learning is surely some awakening of what I would want of love! Love can really not have any definition, but it certainly has some characteristics, and the first attribute according to me would be – CALL IT LOVE , WHEN YOU START LOOKING FOR SOMEONE BEYOND THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. Our minds are usually seized by the desire for beauty, but can you simply survive with a beautiful face, ignoring the intellect one possesses? Anyone can love a beautiful face, but loving a soul for its beauty, is a matter of sensibility, and that is love. Why do we love our parents so unconditionally? Ever wondered? I am sure it is not their physical appearance which makes us love them, but it is their soul, which is so full of care and selfless affection, that we eventually start loving them!
Someone said “don’t fall in love, but rise!”, and it made me wonder what it actually meant. After nights of battling with my thoughts, I came to the conclusion; to me rising in love would mean that both the partners should be compatible enough to help each other evolve into a better being every day!
To share similar thoughts does not mean one is compatible, but to possess different opinions and yet existing mutually is love! To learn from the other the best in them , while helping them confront their own vices, in such a way that one still supports the other, that is love and that is when YOU RISE IN LOVE! It is only then, that you bring out the best in the other.
Once the acceptance of a different opinion comes and when you start trusting the validity of that person’s opinion, there surely is love. This will be love because your trust on that person is to such an extent, that you allow them to shape your thoughts into something better! As Shakespeare said, “love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged cupid painted blind.” Love means mutual respect for one another, respecting their individuality, and accepting them the way they are. Love means to be a source of inspiration to one another and giving the other, their space to grow themselves.
To sum up I would say “love should be enjoyed in the radiance of each other’s eyes, smiles and mannerisms. Each should take pain to keep the other from going astray, unchaste and ensuring that their thoughts are always pure!!” (Excerpts from ” THE COURTIER , BOOK -4)