bell hooks And the Revolution Of Love

Do you have that friend who just gives you the cold and honest truth, even though you initially were looking for someone who could agree with your current belief? bell hooks function as that friend. And it is truly scary.

Last summer, I booked a trip to Mallorca, and as every tourist does, I brought a book with me. A cute little summer read – or so I thought. My choice in literature was a book that I've had for quite some time, but it never seemed to fit into my schedule. That book was All About Love by bell hooks. And to be honest, in the battle between reading and watching the series You on Netflix, the book lost consecutively. 

But then I was headed to Spain with a promise to myself of not working while on my vacation. So, I left my laptop and decided to bring the book. 

Between shopping, trips to the beach, eating out, and more trips to the beach, I found some time to turn a few pages in All About Love. 

In the first chapter, Clarity: Give Love Words, I discovered the importance of defining love on a practical level. On a level that allows you to understand what love truly is. After spending years searching for a meaningful definition, bell hooks found one in psychiatrist M. Scott Peck's self-help book The Road Less Travelled (1978), where Peck defines love as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." 

Later, she elaborates that the spirit mentioned is the union of body, mind, and soul. Your whole being. To top it off, she also writes that love and abuse cannot coexist. The latter's presence is the exact opposite of love, given the definition at hand.

When you learn what love is, you paradoxically also learn what it is not. And from that point, you can begin to walk down memory lane. As you can imagine, when you suddenly learn about what love is in your twenties, thirties, or even forties (!!!), you might find yourself in a state of shock and disappointment. Or even a slight feeling of despair.

So, there I was under the beaming Mallorca sun, trying to process the lines I've just read while also being aware that I'm on vacation and not really up for an existential crisis. 

I put the book down and enjoyed the last days in Spain, oblivious to what I've read so far. But as soon as I returned home, it was me vs that book. 

It's academically accessible to read but emotionally demanding. You must come to terms with your life, how you've been treated, and how you've treated others. I Highly recommend this to any- and everyone. This is one of those works that will leave an imprint on all who dare to walk the path and become acquainted with true love. 

All About Love by bell hooks demands that you either become a better version of yourself or that you must be plagued by thoughts of not living a fulfilling life in harmony with the people around you.