What is your opinion on love?

I sometimes feel like such a "hippy" when I think or talk about love. 

Love is everywhere, between your friends and family. That special someone you've been together with since you were 8 or that guy/girl that sits in front of you in class. 

Either way, its there. It may not be the same love you give to your mum or your partner, but its there.

I tend to ask the question a lot, what is your opinion on love. 

When I'm sat with people it turns into a lovely debate/talk about what others think love is about, or what it involves, or sometimes even what they've experienced. 

All in all though, everyone has something that they always go back to, they've all experienced love.

Before writing this piece I knew I wanted to get some opinions from others on what love is for them and I did.  The great thing about asking this, was at first some hesitated.. one even put "Cor Blimey." It's something hard to write about, but saying that everyone has an opinion on it. 

The question I asked is the title. 

'What is your opinion on Love?' 

Katy - 

The ability to be the best thing in the world. But also the ability to be the worst thing in the world. At the moment most important to me is the love i have for my friends and my family. I was actually just talking to a friend earlier who said she hardly ever tells her mum she loves her because she doesnt want it to be a throw away phrase, but i tell my mum i love her multiple times a day, on the phone or like today when she came back for her lunch break from work and left again. And just because i say it alot, in no way is it ever a throw away comment. Love is what we all strive for.

Anonymous Guy - 

Love is this word that seems to get tossed around so easily, 'I would love a cup of tea', 'I love that film'

But the feeling of love goes much deeper than that. As someone who is described as logical, sarcastic and guarded, I have done some of the most illogically things and soppy things due to being in a state of love. It is mind altering. But not to be confused with infatuation which people seem to misinterpret for love easily. From my experience it has made me willing to do or suggest things to do with another, not for my own enjoyment, but simply because it will make the other person happy. When I reflect it has led to some of my most selfless actions. But I have witness it truly bring out the worst side in people, all in the name of love.

Hannah - 

Love is amazing. Love is something that consumes us. Becomes our every thing. We love constantly. We can find it anywhere. 

Love is dangerous though. It's a risky game to play. It is what can make you or break you. Yet with every love that seems to break you, those around you who love you will build you up again. Love is always there, even in our darkest days

Anonymous Girl - 

I feel like I'm in two halves about love. I was the one in english class who defended Romeo and Juliet's love, when everyone else was calling them reckless and rash. Not to mention being a Disney fanatic, and I need not to elaborate on the ideals of love that presents. However, I would definitely not fall into the category of being a 'lovey dovey' person. 'Promposals' are the latest on a long list of growing phenomena that make me want to vom. Also appearing on the list are Facebook relationship statuses, cringeworthy gushing paragraphs (we all know some offenders there) and people who talk so intensely about being 'being love'. I guess it could be said that I'm just 'jealous', which leads into the other side of my feelings about love, the side that probably is an influence on my averse reaction to soppiness. I believe that love does exist, but worry that it won't end up finding me. This is silly, paranoid, blah blah blah, but I do hesitate to say 'there's someone for everyone', because, sadly, sometimes there's not, and I cannot shake the fear that I will be one of those people. Having said this, I already know I'm wrong. Love has already visited my life, in the form of my friends, who, as I discussed with one of my closest girls recently, can be your true soul mates, as opposed to a partner.

Rachel - 

I think there are different types of love, the love you feel for a relative or friend (or food;) ) is different from love you'd feel from a partner. In my opinion when someone falls in love - properly- they fall in love with that persons soul. That person suddenly turns into the most beautiful & desirable person in the world to them, even if they're not their regular 'type' - or gender.

Sophie -

I think its stupid that people think they can even describe love, everyone feels it differently, its a different emotion for everyone. although saying that i agree we all share it. I immediately thought of love for a sexual partner rather that love for a family or relative as they are completely different. You know you love someone when you start to love them more than yourself, I don't mean egotistical or in vanity, I mean in a life or death situation where you would put yourself first if they were to come in harms way. There is no specific description of love because there is no same love. No two love is the same, you don't feel the same sort of hatred or the same sort of jealousy as anyone else in this world. People make out love is really rare, but I don't think it is, if you have an open mind then it will come. Love is more than what you can put into a poetic sentence. love is simple love just is.

Ali - 

Love to me is like a virus that utterly consumes you and breaks your barriers and walls down and leaves you naked and vulnerable to someone. It is an ultimate game of trust where you leave your self totally at the mercy of someone else. Should they feel the same about you, you go on to build something. Should they break your heart you again build barriers and walls until someone else comes along. Being hurt and broken by loving someone in itself gives value to love when you find that one special person. It is a drug worth taking regardless of how bad the hangover is.

Tiffany - 

I'm not sure if my take on love is something that you haven't already read or heard, but its the way I choose to look at love, like truly look at it. If I have ever spoken to you about love, disregard it, because right now is my honest opinion. I like to sit and listen on what people feel love is about or there opinion is on it, I am someone that is very open to my opinion being changed about love, so I'm very easily swayed with what people say about it. 

But for me. 

I cant even sit here and explain love, because sometimes I just feel stupid, I'm only 19 and here I am trying to put my take on it, when sometimes I don't even know what love is. Yet on the other hand, I think love can be the most uplifting emotion you have, it takes me to a new extreme. It can either be over explained with lots of fancy words. Sometimes love isn't explainable, its just there. A raw emotion that we feel. Yes that feeling maybe little and small or large and mighty, but it lives inside of our souls. I have felt love, and I have felt heartbreak and I often put those two together. I in fact too often mix them and I even say love for me is shit.. but I know Its not. Love is taught throughout school and life as something we have to share with everyone and we get this perfect idea of what love is. I hate that idea of perfect love, there is no perfect love. There is just emotion which happens to be love. 

Now for me this was probably one of the most eye opening pieces I have written, well kind of, I hardly did anything, other than just read what everyone had put. It was a lot to take in, everyone I asked was of an age between 19-23, bar one person who is in there late 20's. Now I think maybe If I were to do this again but only ask people say about 30 or 40, then the outcome might be either very different or fractionally different. It would be interesting to see the results.

I just wanted to do this piece to show everyone, that love is different for everyone. I know we all know that but I think we forget. Love I think is something we should say more to each other, I don't see enough love around anymore. 
(P.s thank you to everyone who gave me there opinion it was massively appreciated!! You are some great people to me.)