Response to Platos Symposium - Essay Example

of the Philosophy of the Concerned 4 December Response to Plato’s Symposium Section I: Romantic Relationships It isindeed true that romance is the quintessential element that imbues any relationship with true worth, charm and trust. Of all the varied relationships that an individual comes across during one’s lifespan, it is the romantic relationships that turn out to be the source of real happiness, joy and bliss. It is eventually the romantic relationships that happen to have the innate magic and substance, which make the otherwise prosaic human existence, so bearable and poetic. In a more generalized sense, romance is the very essence of this universe, and the nature manages to procreate and sustain itself only through the power and sway of this mysterious thing called romance. People simply fail to understand the fact that the presence of romance not only happens to be vital for the stability of any relationship, but rather romance happens to be the very foundation of any worthwhile relationship. People having the ability to create and nurture romantic relationships are the ones who make the world a more beautiful and warm place. Romance happens to be the sum total of many attributes and essentials. In other words, most of the romantic relationships do evince some very fundamental characteristics, which separate them from the more mundane and boring relationships. The litmus test as to whether the two people in a relationship do actually have a romantic relationship is the way they actually feel, while being in that relationship. Romance is all about sweet and blissful things. When on feels romantic towards a person or when one is actually in a genuinely and worthwhile relationship, one goes through an emotional state marked by happiness, elation, joy and bliss. Romance is a feeling, it is an emotional state. Any young person in love can readily testify to this assertion. Romantic relationships never make one feel sad, frustrated, depressed, bored or dejected. The world of romance is thoroughly the world defined by sugar and spice. In other words if a relationship does not make a person have emotional highs, or for that matter if a relationship makes a person feel tested and tried, it is no way a romantic relationship. It is this very nature of romantic relationships that makes them so special and sought after. Alas, only a lucky few do get the chance to be in such special and romantic relationships. Others have to bear with relationships that have much of sadness, hard work and sorrow, with intermittent streaks of happiness. The other basic component that makes truly romantic relationships so special is that such relationships seldom require any effort, work or labor. People in romantic relationships do not feel bothered by any need to put in extra effort and work to sustain and nurture that relationship. Effortless, yes effortless is the word that happens to be the very essence of any romantic relationship. Romance does not require a person to owe up to any special responsibilities, or to work hard, or for that matter to even remotely entertain the possibility of getting tired, fatigued or tested or to run an extra mile for the object of one’s desire. Romance is a laid back state of existence, a unique relationship defined by the words like languor, laziness, restfulness and tranquility. That is why one finds that many couples simply loose on romance with time, as their marriages get entangled in the mish-mash of onerous responsibilities. Moreover, people in romantic relationships cannot bear to be bothered by more mundane, weighty and boring responsibilities of their everyday existence. The two people in a romantic relationship simply cannot afford to be burdened by cumbersome responsibilities. They remain so enveloped in their sense of infatuation and attachment. They can go to any length to prove their unwavering emotional commitment towards the person they love. Did Romeo and Juliet bother to thing about the consequences of their love, or cared to ponder that their reckless obsession may get their partner killed? If romance is genuine, if it is true and real, it has to be impetuous, unmindful, reckless, and spontaneous, and unmindful of responsibilities. The gods of love seldom favor the thoughtful and responsible. A romantic state of mind is unflinchingly focused on nobody but the one, one is in love with. So, romantic relationships are all about positive feelings, about effortlessness and a staunch unwillingness to be waylaid or distracted by prosaic and unromantic responsibilities. Relationships lacking in these three cardinal attributes do not qualify to be called ‘romantic’. Section II: Romantic Relationships- A Socratic Critique My Real Self: - RS My Socratic Self: - SS RS: No relationship can be called romantic if it lacks in feelings like happiness, elation or joy. Romance is a feeling. SS: It means that people in a relationship, not feeling happy or elated at any time, stand deficient in romance. RS: Yes, Romance is all about feeling good and happy. SS: Sadly, never been in a romantic relationship, I never had the good luck of savoring a truly worthwhile relationship, as you say that romance is the foundation of all worthwhile relationships. You can teach me much about romantic relationships. RS: Sure SS: Can I ask you one question my wise friend, what is a worthwhile relationship? RS: A worthwhile relationship is the one in which both partners care for each other. SS: So we must always expect our partner to make us feel happy, as romance is a feeling, to be able to call our relationship with one another as being worthwhile. RS: Sure SS: In other words, as you said, only romantic relationships are worthwhile relationships, and in worthwhile relationships people care for each other, so caring for one’s partner does always need to be a happy task, as romance has only to do with happiness. RS: Yes, my friend, I think now you have got it now. SS: Now if I say, for instance, there is a young lady taking care of her badly injured husband, who broke his leg after slipping on the staircase, and she is feeling sad and depressed about this accident (not happy or elated), than they are not in a worthwhile relationship and their relationship lacks romance, am I right? RS: I may say that she is really happy about being caring towards her husband, at least at a deeper level, though for the time she is sad and depressed about this accident. Her behavior towards her husband is in a way an expression of romance. SS: So, you agree that Romance is not all about feelings; it may have also to do with as to how two people behave towards each other? RS: In a way, yes, I agree? SS: Now if I propose that feelings and behavior may fail to act in consonance under some circumstances, and a person may behave caring towards one’s partner irrespective of being sad and depressed, as is with the young lady under consideration, I may be right? RS: Yes, in the scenario under consideration, yes. SS: Now, as evident, this lady does care for her partner, and thereby her relationship with him is worthwhile (irrespective of her being depressed about the accident). RS: Agreed SS: So, I can say that behavior being one detriment of any worthwhile relationships, besides feelings, behavior is also an attribute of romance. RS: Yes, I think you are right, because say if this lady had acted jovial and happy with her husband, but had failed to take care of him, or had failed to be caring towards him, this would have badly impacted their relationship. SS: So now you see, romantic relationships are not merely about feelings; they have a lot to do with the behavior of two partners. Now if I move a step forward and say that romantic relationships also require effort and hard work, as is the case with this lady, as caring for a sick person requires effort, and does make one feel responsible, tired and drained, do I sound realistic? RS: Yes, you are right; she is putting in effort to take care of her injured husband. This effort will make her feel tried, drained and fatigue to some extent at least. SS: I see, thanks for being able to pursue my line of argument. You see, we can conclude one more thing. Please tell me, do people care for and spend their energy and time on individuals towards whom they have no sense of responsibility? RS: No. SS: You mean people care for only those individuals regarding whom they harbor a sense of responsibility. RS: Yes. SS: Thereby, since this lady has a worthwhile relationship with her husband, because she is taking care of him (irrespective of feeling sad and depressed), and is putting in work and effort to do so, it is obvious that she feels a sense of responsibility towards him. RS: Yes, it does seem so. SS: Now if I wrap up and say that worthwhile relationships are those in which the two partners care for each other, and put in effort and hard work while caring for each other, because they feel responsible for the well being of their partner, hence, a caring behavior, a willingness to devote efforts and resources, and a sense of responsibility are the primary attributes of a romantic relationship, and romantic relationships are not merely about feelings, effortlessness and absence of responsibility? RS: Yes, I see now. Romance is all about caring and sharing and feeling responsible for each other. Read More