It’s Easy to be Cynical About Love and Much Harder to be the Hopeless Romantic

After having made my way through most of the decent romantic films on Netflix, I decided to give ‘What If’ a go. It had Zoe Kazan, Daniel Radcliffe and Adam Driver in it, all actors I was familiar with so I thought why not. The film was pretty good as it goes for one of the more underrated films in the genre, and it did have my crying a little bit at the end scene when one of the characters finally admits his feelings for the other.

But, the line that struck me in the film and has stuck with me is when one of the characters says ‘it’s easy to be cynical in love/about love’ or something very similar along the lines. It got me thinking, which is not something romantic dramas/comedies etc do. I usually watch them for escapism, something easy to watch or something to watch when I am sad.

Whoever said it, is very true. It is so much easier to be cynical about love because then you don’t get hurt. Being the ‘hopeless romantic’ takes bravery because it means you risk getting hurt, you risk feeling something.

The cynic does not necessarily believe in love, they just see love as something that is for weaker individuals, something that weakens you. That’s because they see the romantic exposing all of their feelings, they see them go through all the happiness, but only focus on the hurt that comes out of it.

The cynic usually has either been unlucky in love, heartbroken or hasn’t been in love at all. The hopeless romantic has given love many chances, yet still has not managed to settle, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to find that ‘one.’

To me, I think I lie somewhere in the middle, I believe in it, but I have yet to see it work for myself. But, if I had to pick one, I would be more the romantic. Although, I tend to be cynical to protect myself, when love comes for you, and I think I can say this for many you become the romantic without realising it.

It’s when you begin to romanticise little things. When you begin to see the light in dark spaces.

There is something to really admire in the romantics because they never give up. There is bravery and beauty in their openness with their hearts. It’s something we wish we all could be a little more of.