An Extra Cheesy Love Post

Watching the movie Tuesday's with Morrie in sociology this week, it broadened my view of how the values of American culture unknowingly seep into the nooks and crannies of our character and personality.

In the movie, Morrie greatly emphasizes love. Love was ultimately a topic that made the protagonist uncomfortable as he typically saw love to be strictly romantic. Although I don't think we can judge whether it's a commonality for Americans to culturally to be afraid to love or to receive love, there are definitely cultural hindrances in America that may take away from a loving experience.

Americans value practicality, directness, and a strong work ethic; basically, Americans are do-ers. Because of these values, we tend to outlaw emotion-based decision making as our emotions typically don't guide us into accomplishing tasks on time, or make the work environment more professional. Americans tend to focus more on what needs to be accomplished and what they can do to achieve their long term goals, rather than advocate questions like "how do you feel about that?" Because the American culture promotes individuals to become do-ers, this has altered a complete perception of our emotions as we're not accustomed, nor see those around us, to be publicly emotional. Therefore, love is a topic that most view to be strictly romantic because what we see in movies, books, and even national holidays like Valentine's day target love to be a sappy emotion that only couples share.

However, the protagonist in the movie realizes the love he shares with Morrie is not romantic but nonetheless love. Morrie helps the protagonist become comfortable with his emotions when the protagonist shows his love for Morrie through his tears and deep grief for Morrie's decaying when he breaks down in irrevocable sobs. This is a huge turning point for the protagonist as he is no longer afraid to feel deep emotion, show his mourning through tears, and he ultimately learns how to express his love.

As a culture, I believe that it's not whether we fail to accept or give love, I believe we don't know how to love. Love is felt between those who we would feel lost, lonely, and incomplete without. Love allows us to put others first and put our egos aside. You may love someone differently than you love someone else simply because the relationships we poses with others are not all the same, nor the people or circumstances. Although love is often over-complicated, it should be simple. If you love someone, romantically or not, you will always find a way to stay together--and everything else will follow. American culture is warped up in innovative technology, progressiveness, due dates, and work ethic; but we don't always learn how to love.