#human-nature

why do you need love so badly?

honestly, even though it was released over two years ago, this question has been stuck with me for the past few days. i know you're not here to listen to my philosophical musings or anything—you're just here to enjoy my fanfiction—but here i am, rambling again. i just gotta know: how would you guys answer this question?

do we need love because we struggle with self-love, or maybe we crave someone to validate us? can we actually enjoy our lives and be happy if we don't have somebody loving us? or perhaps it's simply human nature to seek connection? i once saw this instagram post saying that we all just want for someone to witness our lives. i think there's something beautiful about that idea—having someone who sees us, understands us, and shares in our experiences. but then again, isn't that what our friends do so as well? i feel like love comes with a price — for me to stay with you, you need to give me the intimacy and security. love, in a way, isn't selfless while friendship definitely is. you don't expect intimacy from your friends to keep supporting, loving them, and being in their lives. love and friendship do have different dynamics, don't they? love often, if not always, comes with expectations of intimacy and security that we don't necessarily have in friendships. there's a certain vulnerability in romantic relationships that isn't always present in platonic ones.

it's true that love can be both selfless and selfish at times. we give so much of ourselves in love, but we also expect things in return. with friends, it's often a more unconditional kind of support. we don't expect the same level of intimacy or commitment, but the love is still there, just in a different form. maybe that's why romantic love feels so intense and sometimes scary - there's more at stake, more to gain, but also more to lose. it's a delicate balance between giving and receiving, between vulnerability and strength.

and what do you guys think about it?

Charley runs away in search of adventure and winds up working in a genteel tea shop, or a tea shop that was very dull and genteel before the worst customer ever runs in, asks wildly for a scone with jam and cream at once, because it's a matter of life and death. before being followed in by a bunch of rhinos carrying guns and the tea shop burns down.

“Sentient,” 18 feet.

Five Towering Figures by Artist Daniel Popper Loom Over The Morton Arboretum

Spread across the 1,700 acres at The Morton Arboretum just outside of Chicago are five enormous figures by Cape Town-based artist Daniel Popper (previously). Constructed of wood, glass-reinforced concrete, fiberglass, and steel, the looming sculptures stand out against the verdant landscape and pay homage to nature’s endurance and diversity, particularly the 220,000 individual specimens growing on the grounds. Human+Nature is Popper’s largest exhibition to date.

“Hallow,” 26 feet

“UMI,” 20.5 feet

“Heartwood,” 15.5 feet