Topic of the day > Is romance dead?

jadeowl2 said:Well, on that point, we can actually agree 😉.

Basically, they’re saying if you call someone you love a "partner," you just don't get what real romance and true love are all about. Honestly, I'm surprised you're buying into that. 😁

Paul Grant67 said:What a subtle way to belittle someone else's perspective. Just because you feel that way doesn't mean anyone else is wrong; it just means they're different from you. Honestly, that kind of narrow-mindedness is exactly what makes someone radical... you could easily turn that comment about "lacking an ear" back on yourself instead of throwing it at others.

I wouldn't call it disparaging views; I’d call it being honest. Frankly, I have an utter disdain for "political correctness," for insincerity, for people who constantly play nice or try to appease everyone.

As for my mention of the poet—which you clearly failed to grasp—the point was to demonstrate that this isn't merely some isolated, "unhinged" opinion held solely by me.

In my estimation, these "unhinged" trends are precisely what lead to various forms of human impoverishment, both emotionally and spiritually. But then again, to each their own.

Walter Davis said:Basically, they’re saying if you call someone you love a "partner," you just don't get what real romance and true love are all about. Honestly, I'm surprised you're buying into that. 😁

Does semantics even matter at this point?
I haven't the slightest clue what label to use—girlfriend, partner, spouse, life companion...
At the end of the day, I'll just call her by her name.

Thomas Hernandez4 said:Dec 20th. Is romance officially dead?

The other day, Aljehin asked me on the chat what romance actually means to me. I’ll admit, I had to pause and really think before I could give an answer.
How do you all define romance? And when was the last time you actually did something romantic—or better yet, experienced it?

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This topic was pulled from the 146th post of the topic of the day.

Not at all. Romance still exists. 😍 😍 😍

feralranger said:I wouldn't call it disparaging views; I’d call it being honest. Frankly, I have an utter disdain for "political correctness," for insincerity, for people who constantly play nice or try to appease everyone.

As for my mention of the poet—which you clearly failed to grasp—the point was to demonstrate that this isn't merely some isolated, "unhinged" opinion held solely by me.

In my estimation, these "unhinged" trends are precisely what lead to various forms of human impoverishment, both emotionally and spiritually. But then again, to each their own.

I didn't "miss the point." 😁
Oh, so it's because I'm incapable of understanding, right? Is that it? 😬

George Rivera3 said:Subtle? 🤔I wouldn't call it that... 🤣it's far more transparent than that...

Perfidious? 😁

Nicholas Bailey3 said:Does semantics even matter at this point?
I haven't the slightest clue what label to use—girlfriend, partner, spouse, life companion...
At the end of the day, I'll just call her by her name.

A name is trivial. If we called a rose by any other name, its fragrance would remain just as sweet. 😁

See, I can be quite romantic when I choose to be... 😍

Life companion 🤣

Paul Grant67 said:I didn't "miss the point." 😁
Oh, so it's because I'm incapable of understanding, right? Is that it? 😬

Either you genuinely missed the point, or you're playing coy—which, frankly, isn't any more flattering. 🤷

You asked me quite literally, "What do poets have to do with this?"

If you actually grasped the distinction being made, you wouldn't have felt the need to ask such a question, would you?

Paul Grant67 said:Perfidious? 😁

better 😁

I’m honestly stumped on what to call someone you’re seeing when you aren't married and you're definitely not in your twenties.
Calling them "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" feels a little juvenile at this stage of life. That's basically why the word "partner" became the go-to.
Is there anything out there that actually sounds better?

Robert Reyes4 said:I’m honestly stumped on what to call someone you’re seeing when you aren't married and you're definitely not in your twenties.
Calling them "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" feels a little juvenile at this stage of life. That's basically why the word "partner" became the go-to.
Is there anything out there that actually sounds better?

my old lady, my wreck, my better half🤷

As long as there are people, there'll be romance...

Honestly, trying to have a serious debate about these subjective, ill-defined concepts is a total trap... you usually just end up in some pointless shouting match over personal tastes and who has "good" style, which is honestly such a waste of breath.
One person lives for kale, someone else is all about broccoli, and then there’s that guy who can't even look at a green vegetable without gagging... so what? It is what it is. 😁

Take me, for example—I can't stand those massive, sugary gestures or public proposals that feel totally staged and forced, whereas one of my girlfriends absolutely loses it for that stuff and thinks it's peak romance. We haven't come to blows yet, though. 😁

PS I can't stand the word "partner" when talking about any kind of relationship, even if it is technically convenient sometimes. ☕

George Rivera3 said:A name is trivial. If we called a rose by any other name, its fragrance would remain just as sweet. 😁

See, I can be quite romantic when I choose to be... 😍

Life companion 🤣

There you go. Perfect answer right there.

When asked "how do you perceive the person you share your life and bed with," I honestly can't find the words without feeling like a spinning top about to tip over.
It’s a bit of a loaded question...

Robert Reyes4 said:I’m honestly stumped on what to call someone you’re seeing when you aren't married and you're definitely not in your twenties.
Calling them "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" feels a little juvenile at this stage of life. That's basically why the word "partner" became the go-to.
Is there anything out there that actually sounds better?

There certainly is—provided it actually applies to your specific situation. One might call themselves a lover or a friend, assuming that is indeed what you are to one another; if your bond is fueled by genuine passion and deep affection rather than mere transactional calculation or shared assets.

Sam Jones8 said:As long as there are people, there'll be romance...

Honestly, trying to have a serious debate about these subjective, ill-defined concepts is a total trap... you usually just end up in some pointless shouting match over personal tastes and who has "good" style, which is honestly such a waste of breath.
One person lives for kale, someone else is all about broccoli, and then there’s that guy who can't even look at a green vegetable without gagging... so what? It is what it is. 😁

Take me, for example—I can't stand those massive, sugary gestures or public proposals that feel totally staged and forced, whereas one of my girlfriends absolutely loses it for that stuff and thinks it's peak romance. We haven't come to blows yet, though. 😁

PS I can't stand the word "partner" when talking about any kind of relationship, even if it is technically convenient sometimes. ☕

It’s hollow, impoverished, and completely cliché (a total copy-paste job).

Sam Jones8 said:As long as there are people, there'll be romance...

Honestly, trying to have a serious debate about these subjective, ill-defined concepts is a total trap... you usually just end up in some pointless shouting match over personal tastes and who has "good" style, which is honestly such a waste of breath.
One person lives for kale, someone else is all about broccoli, and then there’s that guy who can't even look at a green vegetable without gagging... so what? It is what it is. 😁

Take me, for example—I can't stand those massive, sugary gestures or public proposals that feel totally staged and forced, whereas one of my girlfriends absolutely loses it for that stuff and thinks it's peak romance. We haven't come to blows yet, though. 😁

PS I can't stand the word "partner" when talking about any kind of relationship, even if it is technically convenient sometimes. ☕

Of course. For my part, while I do have a significant other, I would never dream of degrading my girlfriend by referring to her with such a sterile term.

Calling someone a "mistress" and a "friend" at the same time implies you're in some kind of casual fling... if my boyfriend ever used those terms for me, I’d definitely have some serious questions...

The term "partner" actually traces its roots back to the Latin word "partitio," which fundamentally refers to a division.

The real point I'm trying to make here—and it’s an important distinction—is that we aren't talking about a "divisive" kind of split, like a divider separating things, but rather about parts that constitute a single whole.

In that specific sense, my partner is the one who completes me to form that whole. To me, there's something quite beautiful about that idea 😍.

feralranger said:There certainly is—provided it actually applies to your specific situation. One might call themselves a lover or a friend, assuming that is indeed what you are to one another; if your bond is fueled by genuine passion and deep affection rather than mere transactional calculation or shared assets.

Look, if you bring someone up in conversation and say, "Oh, my mistress is this and that..." I don't know. Calling someone a "mistress" implies something else entirely.
And saying "friend" just sounds like you're trying to hide what's actually going on between you.
Honestly, neither works for me. In fact, none of the words feel right. Sometimes I genuinely have no clue how to put it into words.
I'm talking about those moments when you mention someone you're seeing to someone you aren't particularly close with.

Walter Davis said:Basically, they’re saying if you call someone you love a "partner," you just don't get what real romance and true love are all about. Honestly, I'm surprised you're buying into that. 😁

Look, I agree that everyone sees things differently, but I don't buy into that "subtle" 😁 little dig at people. Honestly, I don't even notice that kind of stuff 🤣 anymore.
(And hey, at the end of the day, that's just his take, so whatever... we're all different, right?...)