What is liquid love and examples – Discover this common relationship in the so-called liquid society

Liquid love must be framed in the ‘liquid’ society in which we are immersed, marked by consumerismfor the desire of meet needs immediately and in which almost everything is disposable. In this global concept, Bauman analyzes romantic relationships and makes a metaphor, comparing them not with something ‘solid’ and with deep emotional roots, but as something ‘liquid’, that is, passengerwhich arises, flows and is not retained, it simply passes.

Liquid love, therefore, is a love superficialbecause it is based on fragile sentimental tieswhich can be easily broken and in which what matters is the present moment, without ties, commitment or future project.

In this love, individualism prevails and once a specific need is satisfied, for affection, sex or emotional support, the feeling does not last or deepen, creating bonds between two people, but rather it dilutes (like a liquid that escapes between the fingers) until it disappears. The ephemerality of this type of relationship makes Bauman speak not of relationships, but of simple ‘connections’.

This concept of love not only refers to interpersonal feelings, but also to the love we should feel for ourselves. Self-love can also be liquid and lack the necessary self-knowledge and self-acceptance and self-esteem. The fear of commitment, the constant desire for freedom as a ‘flight forward’ or the opposite case, emotional dependence in toxic relationships, can have their origin in the liquid love experienced in oneself. This could be explained by saying that if you are not capable of loving yourself, you will hardly be able to establish a firm, lasting, deep and responsible relationship with another person.

Liquid love is simply consumed (like any other product), lived in the moment and only creates fragile superficial bonds.

There are many examples that we can find of liquid love, in which individualism prevails over the common interests and desires or those of the other person.

In relationships of this type, sexual attraction plays a determining role. A clear example of liquid love can be a sporadic intimate relationshipin which there is a totally superficial link which makes the members of the couple almost perfect strangers. Another could be the relationship that takes place after a brief encounter, perhaps at a party or nightclub, and occurs to immediately satisfy sexual desire, without the intention of establishing a bond. any affective. Another case is usually that of open couples, especially in which the concept of individual freedom prevails over any common desire. Here you can read about What it means to have an open relationship. This is also the case for those couples who are well together, for years, but without any commitment, because the idea is to be able to end the relationship at any time. In these examples, liquid love makes unthinkable any feeling that implies that the couple deepens their emotional ties with projects such as living together for a long period, such as many years, getting married, much less starting a family. The concept of liquid love is incompatible with the idea of ​​future responsibility. New technologies have also caused examples of liquid love to multiply. Just keep a contact on social networks so that a friendship or love relationship that, the moment it stops interesting, can be broken with a simple ‘click’.

It is quite common that, sooner or later, liquid love has consequences for one member of the couple or for both.

Immersed in a consumer society, love itself can become one more ‘use and throw’ productwhich is consumed and when it is no longer useful, another is sought. A consequence of liquid love is the ‘objectification’ of peopleThat is, a member of the couple who experiences love in this way will see the other as someone with whom they share a moment and nothing more, making invisible the feelings you may haveyour desires or your worries, something that will probably end up harming you. emotional dissatisfaction It is another consequence of this love that, once a desire is satisfied, can leave a deep feeling of emptiness, because human beings need emotional ties in which to trust and lean on. Finally, low self-esteem It is also usually a consequence of relationships based on liquid love, because people are not ‘things’.

After learning about what liquid love is and that it can be intertwined with toxic relationships, we recommend you read this other article about Things you should not allow in a relationship.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is liquid love and exampleswe recommend that you enter our Sentimental Relationships category.