Is Love Indestructible?

Some people think that love is fragile; others think that it is indestructible. I do not see anything human as indestructible. Love is powerful – sometimes very powerful; it is not however omnipotent, and there are all sorts of ways to destroy love.

I had a girlfriend whom I loved very much, whose stepmother told her that I was using her. Totally wrong; but she believed it. She finally figured out how much I loved her a number of years down the road, and shortly after that she was dead from medical malpractice.

In Othello, Iago destroys the love that Othello has for Desdemona by telling him a bunch of damaging lies. One does not have to be purposefully evil, like Iago, in order to do that. There are all sorts of men who put suspicion and nastiness in other men's minds as to the women with whom they are. Even the better-natured men are subject to this malicious manipulation; and we see all sorts of good-natured men being horrible to their wives and girlfriends because of the nastiness that comes from these misogynists and deceivers.

My last relationship, which was loving enough to see me move from America to Australia to be with the woman, was destroyed because of a disagreement as to how to deal with her ex. I wanted to take a more conciliatory approach, and she wanted to take a more confrontational approach. This disagreement destroyed our relationship, even though it was very much based in love – love powerful enough to see me leave a very nice setup in order to be with her.

Is love powerful? Yes. Is it indestructible? No. Nothing human is indestructible. And some things are beautiful enough that they should be preserved, whether or not they are fragile.