insight

Love drives all aspects of our lives

According to Amazon.com, there are 68,000 books written on the subject of love. By contrast, there are 20,000 books written on the subject of math.

Because I spend most of my days in a computer lab rather then taking the relationship quiz in this month's Cosmopolitan magazine, this intrigues me ...

The question: Why is this?

The answer: Because we live in a society that is infatuated with the idea of love. Our minds are consumed with romance.

We ponder last night's hookup in our mind as we type out our symposium for psychology class. In essence, the industry is giving us exactly what we want to read.

Lately, when I listen to my friends talking, it seems that dating is gone and hooking up is in.

We watch "Sex and the City" with our girlfriends before going out to the local bars, and, when last-call is over, it all becomes a reality. All of a sudden it is sex in our city, our bedroom, our lab partner's dorm room; sometimes it even starts in the elevator before we make it to the third-floor door of our apartment.

We just met the guy, and we think maybe he is "The One." Maybe we are in love? Is this really it? Our heads spin with the idea of this, the idea of romance.

Or is it spinning because of that last shot of J„ger'?

Yep, it was that last shot. The next morning we wonder what this random person is doing on our side of the bed. The sun shines through the curtains and gives us a headache, but not as much of a headache as when we strain to try and remember his name; was it Bobby? Or maybe it was Billy ... last call at B-52's is going to be the ONLY call you ever get from this guy.

It seems hooking up has become an extracurricular activity, especially at colleges. We think of it as a hobby, almost like playing volleyball or acting in the school play.

We put on a uniform and go out for the night, act the part we think our audience wants to see and revel in the compliments they dish out about our performance.

We accept their roses for the evening's act, accept the drinks that fuel our non-stop conversation (usually, we can't totally recall the repartee the next morning), and accept the ride they offer home ... and, I know if you are still reading this article, you must be guilty of this common hookup.

Over many sobering cups of coffee with my roommate after nights like these, the same question always comes up: why do we do this?

We are smarter than this.

If we crave love and romance, someone to hold hands with as we walk across campus, then why do we keep making our way down the hazy road of booze and booty calls?

And when, oh, when does this road finally come to a dead end? What makes men and women seek out, and then avoid, the idea of being in love?