17 Things That Are True If You Have A Love/Hate Relationship With Love

Love loves me, love loves me not.

Maybe you're single AF, or maybe your current *situation* is complicated--whatever the reason, Valentine's day can be overwhelming.

Between the candy, the cards, the jewelry commercials and all of the heart-shaped merchandise, Valentine's day can be emotionally taxing.

It's not that you hate the holiday, it's that love is messy and complicated, and Valentine's Day is a holiday that's dedicated to love. This can make some pretty complicated feelings resurface.

You've been in love before and you know that it's great.

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Admit it, nothing beats being in love. You feel all warm and fuzzy inside! You get to connect with another human on a completely different, special level! You are loved and appreciated in return! It's the greatest feeling in the world.

But you also know that loving another person can be really hard.

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What's the opposite of all of those good feelings you feel when you're in love? Heartbreak. And it SUCKS. People change, or sometimes they don't, and something so seemingly simple suddenly becomes really complicated. Heartbreak is a feeling you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, and it's bad enough to make you give up on love altogether.

If you're single, the idea of dating can be intimidating.

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If you've experienced heartbreak before, putting yourself out there seems really scary. What if it doesn't work out? What if I get hurt again? Sometimes being on your own seems so much easier.

Not to mention, dating requires a lot of effort. The first few dates with someone can be fun, but getting to know someone--and letting someone else get to know you in return--is exhausting.

But you believe in True Love, and you know that your soul mate is out there.

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You're tired of dating. You're tired of swiping. You're tired of all of the terrible first dates, the forced conversation, and the feeling that you're marketing yourself like a product. But you keep going because you know *the one* is out there. And that's enough to make you put up with all of the frustration.

You're also proud of the fact that you haven't "settled"

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Could you be dating anyone? Sure. Are you maybe a little picky? Absolutely. But you know how to tell The Real Deal from something that you know won't last, and you've been through far too much to date someone you're not in love with. You wouldn't do that to another person, and you certainly wouldn't do it to yourself.

And being single can be pretty fun sometimes.

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Who makes the rules? You do! You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself. Whether that means a sudden change of direction, or a spontaneous one night stand, you have the freedom to do what you want.

But you also get really, really lonely.

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Sometimes you just want someone to cuddle you.

It's hard not to be resentful when it comes to Valentine's Day, or weddings, or really anything sappy.

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It all feels pretty fake and stupid. Love isn't perfect! Love is crazy, love is messy! Stop pretending! And while you're happy for all of your friends getting married, you and your single friends are secretly taking bets on who's going to be the first to divorce.

You also know that you'd go all-out for Valentine's Day if you were with *the one*

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Aaaand suddenly Valentine's Day is your favorite holiday.

When it comes to movies and TV shows about love, you love 'em all.

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You might be the world's biggest cynic, but you're a sucker for a good love story. You've seen every season of The Bachelor and/or The Bachelorette, and The Notebook is your favorite movie.

And sometimes these shows and movies can bring you a great deal of comfort

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Things always work out on screen despite all of the adversity, and this can be encouraging. Look what Cinderella had to endure before she met Prince Charming!

But you've lived enough life to know how to tell fact from fiction

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Happy endings happen in real life, but you know that things are a little more complicated than they are in the movies. And that sucks.

You've got a good head on your shoulders, and you're reluctant to get carried away.

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Love makes fools of us all, and you're no fool!

But getting carried away is lots of fun

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It's like living in a real-life fantasy, and when the rest of life is crazy complicated and scary, getting carried away in love can be a beautiful, fun distraction.

So, in conclusion, love sucks.

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All the hurt, all of the uncertainty, all of the vulnerability--is it even worth it?

But love is also the best thing in the history of things. And you love it.

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Is it even worth it? You bet it is!