Is "love" a scam?

[Xanabby]

I find myself wondering if romantic love isn't just propaganda that's been inflicted on us from a young age. Why does everything has to revolve around it?

It's like an ad that keeps repeating itself over and over again through books, movies, music, relatives...

Most couples break up anyways, sometimes it's even messy or downright horrific.

So many people feel like failures because they couldn't get the "happy ever after" when, in fact, it's very rare but is presented as if it was a common thing that most people could achieve.

My friends who are in couple became less interesting than they were when single. (The baby talking to their partner is cringe )

I've been endoctrinated to want "love" as well but now I am on detox! I'm a lesbian living in a small town so it's not as if I had the choice anyways

Was my quest to find "the one" an addiction? A cure to boredom? A hope to be saved? (Probably the latter)

I had very good relationships tho but now I need to accept the fact that I'll probably be single forever and learn to appreciate it. I get to be a more authentic version of myself, focus on my therapy and my precious friends, do my skin care routine consistently, be at peace and not always hyper vigilant on what I say/do or walking on eggshells. I can rot in my room for weeks without a complaint.
I don't have to feel guilty for not being the perfect partner anymore...

Anyways, my rant is already way too long so I'll stop here. Curious to read your opinions and stories!

 

[Dejected 55]

Love can be a scam but it doesn't have to be a scam. Love doesn't have to be perfect to be real and valid either. Some people use fake love to get what they want at the expense of others. Some people do love but expect perfection in their love, which is mostly impossible so they fail at that. Others love only at a surface level and are easily distracted by other shiny things so their love might be real but it is fickle and easily swayed.

The thing I find interesting is the entirety of the known history of mankind is FILLED with stories, songs, movies, plays, etc. etc. fictional creations of people of love and romance and devotion and so forth... and many many many (most) people identify with and enjoy these stories... but then proceed to not try to have anything of the kind in their real lives. Sometimes one person tries while their partner does not, and it falls apart as you'd expect. Sometimes neither person really tries. But all the people not really trying will enjoy the fictional accounts as if they understand and want it, but then will go do the opposite.

We all understand how good things could be, and we all have the same affection for all the fictional accounts, and yet society as a whole really doesn't strive for this in their actual lives. It confounds and confuses me at every turn. It's like the people who watch Star Wars and root for the rebel alliance as you're intended, but in real life try their hardest to be the evil empire! Why?