Matheson&Cieslik1

MarleyMatheson,JoshuaCieslik
Mr.DavidTurley
English1
22April2016
IsPlatonicLoveReal?
Heyeveryone,itsMarleyandJoshhere.How'sithanging?Todayweregoingtobe
talkingaboutplatoniclove.Platonicloveistheloveyouhaveforyourfriends.Itsonlyfriendly
love,nottheloveyoudhaveforasignificantother.Ihaveaplatonicrelationshipwithmy
friendsTrentandMarley.Thethreeofusaretogetheralot,wehangouttogethermostweekends,
andwewalkhomefromschooltogetheratleastonceaweek.Weregreatpals,butIdontthink
ofeitherofthemasaromanticpartner.
ThoughromanticloveismainlywhatpeoplethinkaboutwhentheyhearRomeoand
Juliet,therearemanyexamplesofplatonicloveinthisplay.Theprimeexamplewouldbe
betweenRomeo,Mercutio,andBenvolio.InthestoryRomeoandMercutiohaveasiblingtype
relationship,andwhenBenvoliocomesin,theyallhaveaveryvisiblebrotherlytypebond.
Theyreagroupoffriendswithabondlikethethreemusketeers,theyenjoyeachothers
companyandtheylikebeingaroundeachother.
Somepeoplebelieveplatonicloveisntlove,andsomepeoplethinkthatitsjusta
blankettermforhiddenfeelings.Inmovies,itallhappensinasimilarway.Aguymeetsagirl,
thetwoofthembecomebestfriends,andtheguyeventuallyfallsforthegirl(orviceversa).
Peopleusuallyassociatesituationslikethatwithplatoniclove.

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Hollywoodhasshamelesslyexploitedtheideaofguygirlfriendshipsevolving
intoromanticinterests,primingustobelievethisishowalloppositesexdynamics
work.Thoughfriendshipverywellcanleadtoromanticfeelings,platonicloveisnot
aboutromance.AccordingtoourpollranonTwitter,87%ofvotersagreedthatplatonicloveis
actuallylove.Only13%ofvoterssaidthatitshouldntbeconsideredactuallove.
Intodayssocietythereislotsofexamplesofplatoniclove,fromitbeingyourbest
friendstoyourbrotherorsister.Youcannotturnthecorner,andnotexpecttofindsometypeof
platoniclove,wheneveritisinmainstreammoviesorthepersonrightbesideyou.Ithinkitis
safetosaythatalmosteveryoneherehasexperiencedsomeformofplatoniclove.Platoniclove
feelsalotdifferentthananyothertypeofloveonthislist.Forplatonicloveyoudonthaveto
showthatmuchaffectiontoknowthatyoubothloveeachother.Youcanmakefunofeachother
jokingly,andpusheachothertoyourabsolutelimits,butyoumakeuptheverynextday.
Inconclusion,platonicloveplaysanimportantroleinoureverydaylives.Weallhave
peoplethatwecarefor.RomeoandJulietholdsalotofgoodexamples,suchasthefriendship
betweenRomeo,Benvolio,andMercutio.Inmodernday,platoniclovehasbeentakentonew
levels,andisoftenromanticised,butinmostsituationsplatonicloveisnotlikethemovies
portrayittobe.Platonicloveiswhatdefinesthebondbetweenfriends.Itsthefriendlyaffection
betweenthemthattheyshowwhentheyspendtimetogether.Itsimportantforpeopletoknow
thatitstotallyfinetoacknowledgeplatonicloveasatypeoflove.Generally,peoplethinkof
loveasromance,platoniclovehelpsprovethatlovedoesntalwayshavetoberomantic.

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WorksCited
"IsItReallyPossibleToBe'JustFriends?'"MedicalDaily.18Apr.2016.Web.20Apr.2016.
Joshua."DoYouConsiderPlatonicLoveActuallyLove."Twitter.Twitter,14Apr.2016.Web.
02May2016.