Blind love is a condition in which a person fails to see the human side of the person they love. Instead, the person exaggerates the other person’s good qualities, and stops valuing his or her own. This can lead to a sense of insecurity. Blind love has a variety of causes, including idealization.
Idealization
The notion that idealizing one’s romantic partner can protect the relationship may be a myth. Although conventional wisdom suggests that idealization in a romantic relationship can lead to disillusionment and divorce, empirical research suggests that it can be a protective factor against the declines in marriage satisfaction. Idealizing one’s partner may also contribute to resilience, by preventing a decrease in the partner’s ability to meet one’s expectations.
Many people experience idealization in their romantic relationships. The idealized image of their partner gives them a boost in their self-esteem. While idealization doesn’t necessarily mean an over-the-top physical relationship, it often results in over-dependence on the relationship, causing the other person to wear out or fall for twisted schemes.
During the initial stages of a relationship, idealization is common. This is because people make a quick evaluation based on limited information. They tend to favor people who fit their idealized image, while ignoring other characteristics that might make them more desirable. Eventually, this idealization is replaced by a more realistic picture based on new information. Unfortunately, this blindness to a partner’s characteristics is not always easy to understand.
Irrational behavior
When you are blinded by love, you may behave in irrational ways. For instance, you may ignore your family and friends. You may stop working and put off social obligations. Your partner may ignore your needs. You may lose all self-control and do things that make you angry or frustrated. But if you want to keep your partner happy, you need to maintain your objectivity.
The phrase “Love is blind” has its roots in the Merchant of Venice, where the idea of physical attraction can be trumped by emotional feelings. As a result, people who fall in love often do not recognize irrational behaviors, and it’s important to understand that blind love can affect people of all sizes.
In the play, the characters’ love for each other is often irrational. For example, Demetrius made love to Helena and then shifted his love to Hermia, despite the fact that it would have been easier for him to remain with Helena. But once his love for Hermia blossomed, he couldn’t help but fall in love with her.
Irrationality
One of the common misconceptions about blind love is that love is irrational. Despite its irrationality, blind love is real. It is a kind of foolish love that lacks rationality. It is very difficult to evaluate it logically. But it’s also very romantic.
Although the characteristics of a person are important for the love match, they’re irrelevant for the love misrepresentation. For example, people who are color-blind can’t tell the difference between red and green. In their minds, red and green objects look grayish. But this kind of love is not normal. Similarly, a person can fall in love with a fictional creation but be irrational in the process.
Irrationality in blind love meaning happens when people lose objectivity and become blinded by their love. In normal relationships, both parties maintain open lines of communication and compromise when facing problems. However, in blind love, one person constantly compromises and ignores other interests.
Idealization as a defense mechanism
Idealization is a defense mechanism that helps us overestimate our partner’s qualities. It is a common reaction during the first stages of love, when we have no information about the other person and are only able to assess them positively. However, over time, our idealized image of the other person starts to change and is replaced with a realistic version based on new information. Unfortunately, many divorcees and other people who experience this type of behavior do not understand why they have this defense mechanism.
When we are attracted to a person who does not match our ideals, we are more likely to be blinded by their flaws than by their positive qualities. While this is an important defense mechanism to combat impulsive lust, it has some undesirable consequences. It causes us to remain attracted to someone even when we know we should stay away from them.
When a relationship is not healthy, idealization may inhibit our ability to recognize that a relationship is unhealthy, leading to increased risk for self-destructive behaviors. This process can be stopped by resolving idealization imagery by targeting the positive memory images that represent the relationship.
