Week 11 Blog

In this week’s reading “Clarity: Give Love Words” from All About Love by Bell Hooks, Hook challenges the idea of love by presenting love with a definition,

“Love is as love does. Love is an act of will-namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love.” (pages 4-5) even though Hooks portrays love as a conscious choice I disagree, for a lot of people, love is essentially seen as an irrational and impulsive feeling an individual’s first emotional response may be uncontrollable. Therefore, although Hooks promotes choosing love consciously, it’s important to recognize the diversity of human emotions and unique experiences. I still feel like I at the same time I understand what she is trying to say, meaning choosing love correctly, “To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients-care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication.” (Page 5). I agree with her trying to set up good boundaries and limits. It is important to recognize these things for healthy relationships. It is crucial to love one another as genuinely and as honestly as possible. This pushes readers like me to reevaluate their conception of love by framing it as an intentional, active pursuit rather than a passive emotional reaction.