Love :: essays research papers

make out     Upon examination of the vast amounts of theories on love I can only findmyself in a more than convoluted state. Love is in fact a great mystery to me, and Ihave only achieved frustration in trying to explicate it. In Scott Pecks bookThe Roadless Traveled there are a conglomerate of avenues that are exploredwithin the topic of love. It is here that some insight is expressed to me more or lessthis perplexing subject. Although I do feel that actual life experiences that Ihave been involved in recently have attributed to a better intelligence of thislove phenomena, some of the ideas that are expressed in this book were oftremendous merit. I find it almost prophetic that this assignment happens tofall into the same duration frame as when I am at a point of heightened curiosity onthis subject of Love. Why at this very moment I find myself questioning mycurrent status with a newfound relationship. I cant help but to assume that Ihave found "Genuine Love" because of an overwhelming feeling of vivaciouscontent upon finding a seemingly perfect union. Pecks views on love in thisrespect differ from what my thoughts have conjured up as such. And I can onlyinfer that the words of a reputable author and doctor are more legitimate thanmine. It is here that I must stop to apologize to you, Louis, for making thispart of the paper far too personal than necessary.     "Falling in Love" is a common fiction in this society. The actual act offalling in love, according to Peck, is a misconception. There is adifferentiation to be made between what is termed "falling in love" and the actof real loving. Peck describes exactly what it is that we experience when Wethink we have fallen in love. Much of what Peck describes as falling in lovehas to do with what he calls "ego boundaries". These ego boundaries areestablished during infancy and continue to develop throughout the persons life.These boundarie s represent an individuals limits with their mental and physicalpower, as they are perceived by the individual. With these ego boundaries manypeople feel confined into their own personal identity which generally creates afeeling of loneliness. A need to form a cathexis is then developed. Peckdescribes it thus, "The essence of the phenomenon of falling in love is a suddencollapse of a component of an individuals ego boundaries, permitting one to mergehis or her identity with that of another person. The Sudden release of oneselffrom oneself, the explosive pouring out of oneself into the beloved, and the