Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Philosophy of Soulmates

[W]hen one of them meets with his other half, the actual half of himself...the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and one will not be out of the other’s sight, as I may say, even for a moment: these are the people who pass their whole lives together, and yet they could not explain what they desire of one another.
~Aristophanes speech
from Plato's Symposium
385 B.C.E.
***
In this epic speech, Aristophanes discusses a third gender created from conjoined twins, one male and one female, who were split apart by Zeus himself. According to the story, these unfortunate beings missed their separated twin and were always hoping and searching for their "other half" or their soul mates.
 
What an interesting origin to the belief in soul mates. To tell the truth, I bought into the soul mate thing once. I fell in love at first sight, once. He did, too. The man even looked like me, we were so similiar it was too weird for words.
Finally, I can tell myself that it was not real.
I can stop looking for a soul mate now.
I can convince myself that soulmates do not exist.
I can honestly now tell myself that my experience was a simple delusion
based in Greek mythology.
Now, will I believe it?
Probably, not...
I miss loving someone who can understand me even in those moments that I'm craving silence.
I miss just sitting with someone in total silence while enjoying his presence.
Love isn't complicated.
Why do people make it so darn difficult?
Someday...
I'll find someone who understands...and I'll consider him a soul mate.

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