Love at First Sight: Real or Fiction?
By Kaitlyn Liu
Imagine briskly walking down a busy street, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city around you. In your rush to get to your destination, you accidentally knock into a passing stranger. About to apologize, you look up to meet the person’s eyes… and the whole world seems to come to a stop. Without a single word, without even knowing a name, you already feel an instant connection from a mere brief interaction with a person you would have otherwise paid no regard to. Is this fate? Destiny? The famed “love at first sight”? Or is it something much simpler, that can be easily explained through science?
Growing up in the 21st century, the modern generation is especially surrounded by fanciful simulations and portrayals of love at first sight. Whether it be literature or in Disney movies, each and every individual born in this century has most likely come across some form of love at first sight: Romeo was enamored by Juliet the moment he spotted her at the party; Snow White instantly caught the affection of the prince when he wandered past her sleeping form. However, how does one know whether these are merely tales drawn from an imaginative wish to encounter one’s other half or an actual proven theory that exists in the world?
Is it possible to fall in love at first sight?
The simple answer to this question would have to be yes. However, there’s a very wide chasm between love at first sight and long-lasting relationships. In other words, whether these feelings from the first encounter will continue to thrive in the future is a completely different story. For instance, take the analogy of a plant. In order for the plant to flourish, one must care for it and nurture it with water and sunlight, and be flexible in taking care of it should any problems, such as weeds or diseases, appear. In the same way, love must be nourished and cultivated, therefore the notion of destined lovers is largely a myth.
Why do we fall in love at first sight?
Love at first sight is essentially due to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind works in simplistic ways, such as assuming that a person with similar features will have similar characteristics or personality. For example, take the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. If you were to encounter a person whose physical features closely resembled someone you love – say a family member or past lover – then chances are, you will most likely think that person is physically appealing even if they may just appear average to others. Basically, the secret behind falling in love at first sight is because something in a person’s physical appearance triggers a comparison in the subconscious mind to someone else that the enamored individual holds dear.
The Magic of Love at First Sight
Love at first sight does not include the intimacy, commitment, and longing to be with a significant other like slowly established relationships do. These emotions of passion and devotion experienced in relationships are not as strongly present when people fall in love at first sight. Love at first sight is more of an openness or initial willingness to be with another person—the first step to a long-lasting relationship. It is a strong attraction or pull that causes one to feel more open to the possibilities of a relationship. Of course, one can still fall in love without having to experience love at first sight, but this concept merely implants the intention to be with that particular significant other. As mentioned earlier, if love could be compared to a growing plant, then love at first sight is like the seed that sprouts the small bud that could later blossom into a lovely flower. It creates the first sense of enchantment that could later flourish into a beautiful relationship.