Situationship, Flirtationship, Transactionship, Solutionship. What the fuck, guys?!
Oh God, I swear these terms are disgusting. I’m part of Gen Z too, right? Then why do these things irritate me so much?
Growing up, I believed love was a complex emotion with simple answers.
If you genuinely care for someone’s happiness, accept them as they are, and stand by them through their highs and lows without expecting anything in return, then yes, you truly love them.
And I already hear the so-called modernists coming at me with, “No, love is about mutual growth, not selflessness.” Dumbasses. That’s exactly my point. When you expect nothing in return, you can actually help each other grow in the purest way possible.
I think back to the movies I grew up on, the ones my dad introduced me to. Alaipayuthey, Rhythm, Paiyaa, 50 First Dates, About Time, Serendipity, A Walk to Remember. All of them showed different versions of love. But at their core, they had one thing in common: Love was worth fighting for.
The word LOVE had weight. Love had meaning.
What the Hell Happened to Love Now?
We live in a time where relationships have become nothing more than a happy pass-by, effortless to enter and even easier to exit. People call it “modern love,” but let’s be honest, it’s anything but love.
Breakups for the Pettiest Reasons:
A couple of decades ago, people only gave up when there was truly no way forward. Today? They break up over nonsense like:
- “They don’t text me enough.”
- “I just don’t feel the spark anymore.”
- “He doesn’t read books.”
- “He’s too sincere in love.”
Are you kidding me?
Relationships today lack depth because people are more committed to their egos than to their partners. The moment things get hard, they’re out. No one wants to fix things. No one wants to fight for love.
The truth is, relationships today aren’t built on love. They’re built on:
- Instant gratification: If it’s not exciting 24/7, they leave.
- Selfish expectations: If they don’t get exactly what they want, they leave.
- Lack of patience: If today doesn’t feel like yesterday, they leave.
- Shallow judgments: “Oh, they reacted this way today? Tomorrow they’ll be toxic. Better leave, there are plenty of fish in the sea.”
The worst part? These so-called “friends” judge a relationship from the outside. One argument, one mistake, and they think they know it all. They love playing the wise advisor, handing out breakup advice like it’s candy, and people listen, throwing away something real over meaningless opinions.
People have confused love with convenience. They want the highs but not the lows. They want a relationship without responsibility.
Love isn’t weak. We are.
We’ve turned relationships into trends, commitment into a joke, and breakups into depression gigs. We’ve forgotten what it takes.
But What About the Ones Who Still Believe?
To the people out there who still believe in love, the ones who aren’t ashamed to want something deep, something lasting, I see you.
I know you ache for something more. I know you refuse to settle for a “situationship” when you want something real. I know you still believe in the kind of love that doesn’t walk away at the first inconvenience.
And guess what? You’re not the problem.
The world will call you a fool. They’ll say “love isn’t like the movies,” but that’s only because they’ve never known the kind of love that’s worth holding onto.
And yeah, not every love story out there is worth holding onto. There’s this toxic, masculine version of love too, the stalking kind, and it’s been around for a long time. Society changes, sure, but many people still come from misogynistic households and they’re still fighting to understand what it even means to respect a partner and get understood, basically to live an equal life. Because at least in India, the culture has been different. The movies we grew up on taught us very different things. So men are still out there figuring it out.
I’m saying this as someone who was like that. I still feel like I’m in limbo sometimes, not sure what’s correct and what’s bad. I’m lucky to have a good group of friends in college who support me and teach me when I’m wrong. So to the boys and girls reading this, if you can, try to help the men around you who are confused like me. Help them be sure of what’s correct and what’s wrong.
And before someone jumps in with the classic “Love isn’t just for couples! Love is for a child, a mom, a sister…” Let me stop you right there. Yes, genius, we all know love exists in many forms. But I’m talking about relationships. You know, the thing where two people willingly choose to stay together despite the world making it easier to walk away? That’s the love we’re losing. That’s the love I’m talking about.
So keep believing. Keep loving with your whole heart. Keep waiting for someone who understands that love isn’t a trend, it’s a choice. A choice to stay, to fight, and to grow together into something beautiful.
Real love still exists. It’s just rare.
But so are the people who believe in it.
P.S. A firm believer of this shit, Deepan.