Which is better?

[Saucy]

Is it better to have loved and lost...or to never have loved at all?

 

[Tortex Plectrum]

Better to what purpose?

 

[bèlla]

Loved and lost. You’ll learn from your mistake.

 

[Sketcher]

Context matters. Agent J (Will Smith's character) in Men In Black butchered that quote.

It was originally written by Tennyson in the context of his best friend dying. In that sense, yes - everyone should experience a close, true friend who is true to the end.

In the sense of a romantic relationship not working out, then no. The butterflies are not worth finding out that the other person isn't who you thought they were, or didn't love you like you thought they did, or changed for the worse and trashed the relationship.

 

[tobyw]

.

 

[Sophrosyne]

Loved and Lost..... The Bible equates the best love as unselfish wanting the best for others. Jesus lost many of those he loved who rejected him.

 

[d taylor]

_​

Who has not loved and lost something in their life. If you are that person, i would hate to be you.

 

[Saucy]

Thank you for your replies. I don't know why this has been on my mind lately, but I thought I would ask others what they think.

 

[returntosender]

If you don't love how can you learn to love?

 

[Somber]

Perhaps this would depend on what type of love. If it is in the romantic sense, I think either way, there's no right or wrong answer to this question. Sometimes we learn more about what "love is" when we learn what "love isn't", even if someone never experienced romantic love before, this doesn't mean they don't understand it, and for those who have loved romantically, this doesn't mean they have fully experienced what love really is either.

I think love in the purest sense is something that we have all experienced in different ways, perhaps. As a child when we looked into our mother's face, or all the dear loved ones, family, friends, pets, and such that we have experienced in our life. I feel that these loves are of infinite value. I feel like I am learning more about what pure love is from my little niece and nephew than I ever did from any romantic interest in the past.

 

[mojoboy31]

Everything is a valuable learning experience, even if it's painful. Sometimes, things end in such a way as to turn all the good memories you had into poison in your veins, making you wish you'd never met them, let alone developed feelings for them. But if you can the pain, depression, and anger, there is a lot that can be learned from failure.

 

[Saucy]

It was sort of weird, after watching a show I was into and a character I really liked died, I brief grief over it and then I was like, "wait, this emotion I'm feeling...did I get a sense of enjoyment out of it?"

I know that sounds strange, and it's just a stupid character and not real. But it was like...feeling this emotional about something felt good for a moment. I was like, "I would rather feel that than nothing at all." It was great to experience that.

 

[Sophrosyne]

 

[TobiaAJoshua]

Is it better to have loved and lost...or to never have loved at all?

I assume you mean it in a romantic context. It is hard for me to say. I have not experienced either.

but I would say one would be missing out greatly by not having experienced falling in love before.

 

[public hermit]

I have loved, and I'm now not in love. I don't regret the relationships I've had, I don't have resentment toward any of the women who tried to love me, but I don't long for romantic love. I can only speak for my experience, but I have benefited from having loved even if I am content being single. I probably should have embraced singleness earlier, but I was afraid to be alone.

 

[returntosender]

The problem with love is infatuation and lust are sometimes there causing confusion.