The Modern Love Project: Redefining Connection in a Changing World by Teyler Chellis
The context for “modern love” has evolved over time into different purposes. Today, the word has many different definitions based on the eye of the person you’re speaking with.
Modern love is the basic and fundamental need of our lives. Its omnipresence is felt by all in various ways.
There aren’t many sources that properly help us to understand how to relate and how to connect with each other.
In an attempt to explore more of this and the isolation of this we have created the“modern love project”. This project is gathering stories all around the world to express how love should never be feared and it’ll elevate our own experiences and perspectives on love.
Therefore, modern love is a double-edged sword. It’s become more complicated than back in the day, with a world that has evolved immensely via technology in the past 10 years. The way we build connections has been affected, for better and worse. Today, We have more options making it easier to connect. With the technology currently at our fingertips, we can communicate instantly with people from all around the world. Social networking and dating apps present us with seemingly infinite options.
Depending on our situation and what we’re looking for, love can be temporary or deeper and authentic. Making it easier to find someone; yet, harder to hold on to them.
We have cheapened love in the sense that it’s really easy to go on dates and drop someone for someone else. However, back before there was the internet one may have settled with someone within proximity due to convenience.
Fast forward to today, I can describe modern love as “Analysis Paralysis”. Analysis paralysis describes, “an individual or group process when overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become “paralyzed”; that no solution or course of action is decided upon within a natural time. Simply stated, decision paralysis can be described as having such a tough time choosing between action A or B that we pick action C or do nothing at all.” https://procrastination.com/blog/9/decision-paralysis-overthinking-choices
The more options we have in front of us, the harder it becomes to choose one. For example, getting granola at the grocery store . One may want one type of granola, but they get to the grocery store to find out that there are twenty different choices. They pick one this time around but can easily drop the choice once they find a better option with common taste and ingredients that they like better. Similarly, it may be harder to commit to one person, given the plethora of possible alternatives.
We can think back to the sociological term of love meaning: “Love is the physical, emotional, sexual, intellectual, or social affection one person holds for another.” http://freesociologybooks.com/Sociology_Of_The_Family/05_Love_and_Intimacy.php ) For some, this meaning is outdated; many in modern society are actively redefining it, asking questions like:
* What constitutes intimacy?
* Who can/should we be intimate with?
* What are appropriate ways to express love?
* How we pick partners?
* How we choose to stay with a partner?
All these questions help to transform what love is for each person. Not only growing from different circumstances we were taught, but learning each purpose love has to offer.
Whether it be in the form of self-love, partners, family and friends or career relationships, Love is a word that is all-encompassing and multidimensional.
In the practice of opening yourself up to feeling it into awants thought was the correct kind of love. Love has an impact on us.
An impact of growth reaction and transformation.
Lovers of all types are breaking the traditional molds of love.
For example, Generation Z is setting the new standard of work- life balance and doing more of what they love as their careers.
As well as, women are now taking over the workforce as autonomous beings with agency; no longer used as property.
Now we get to stand up for our own right. The right to love whomever we want hasn’t always been a choice.
And now we are fighting for that choice. The rise of movements like Black Lives Matter and pride movements have become historical. Race and gender are no longer universally viewed as defining factors when it comes to selecting a partner.
We are seeing how powerful the word love and the actions behind it can truly be when we fight for what we love.
The Modern Love Project is here to spread love globally. We each have had beautiful moments defining the uniqueness and variety of love. Sharing these modern love stories creates open awareness for any given situation, bringing endless possibilities, and new boundaries others will be able to set forth for themselves.