09-23-2022, 07:22 PM
I know just about enough to know that I can't relate to much of any of it at all. It's kinda frustrating that when I google "what does it mean to be romantically attracted to someone", the first answer I see is "a type of attraction in which people desire a romantic relationship with another person.". Okayy... really? But what even IS a "romantic relationship"! LOL
So I ask google what a romantic relationship is and it says it's a "mutual, ongoing and voluntary interactions between two partners that is characterized by specific expressions of affection and intimacy." ...okay... but how is that any different than just having a close friend for life? Perhaps people just mean like a "super special friend" that's got some "super exclusive privileges" that other friends can't have, like doing life completely together (living together, making decisions together, etc)? I mean, I only guess so...
The definition for sexual attraction I find first on google seems rather simple: a desire to engage in contact with someone sexually. Googling the definition of sexual orientation is a bit frustrating, especially since the definitions seem quite allonormative... "a pattern of sexual attraction"? Really? If those defining sexual orientation had considered asexuals, they'd have to also include "the lack of attractions" in that definition as well.
But whatever, in theory, sexual attraction and orientation both sound really simple, but in reality, allosexuals (people with sexual attractions) seem to speak of it as being more nuanced than that. Allosexuals have pointed out that being sexually attracted to members of a gender doesn't mean being sexually attracted to every member of a gender. They've also pointed out that sexual attraction isn't the same as merely objectifying someone sexually. Some have even gone as far to say it doesn't even mean you instantly want to get into someone's pants, but if that's the case, then why is it "sexual" attraction and not simply just other forms of attraction?
So you see, I find this topic really puzzling...
So I ask google what a romantic relationship is and it says it's a "mutual, ongoing and voluntary interactions between two partners that is characterized by specific expressions of affection and intimacy." ...okay... but how is that any different than just having a close friend for life? Perhaps people just mean like a "super special friend" that's got some "super exclusive privileges" that other friends can't have, like doing life completely together (living together, making decisions together, etc)? I mean, I only guess so...
The definition for sexual attraction I find first on google seems rather simple: a desire to engage in contact with someone sexually. Googling the definition of sexual orientation is a bit frustrating, especially since the definitions seem quite allonormative... "a pattern of sexual attraction"? Really? If those defining sexual orientation had considered asexuals, they'd have to also include "the lack of attractions" in that definition as well.
But whatever, in theory, sexual attraction and orientation both sound really simple, but in reality, allosexuals (people with sexual attractions) seem to speak of it as being more nuanced than that. Allosexuals have pointed out that being sexually attracted to members of a gender doesn't mean being sexually attracted to every member of a gender. They've also pointed out that sexual attraction isn't the same as merely objectifying someone sexually. Some have even gone as far to say it doesn't even mean you instantly want to get into someone's pants, but if that's the case, then why is it "sexual" attraction and not simply just other forms of attraction?
So you see, I find this topic really puzzling...