In just a few weeks, the celebrity expects to find true love with one of these contestants, not knowing whether the “feelings” generated by intimate situations are “real” or just manipulated by people looking for their 15 min. of fame, money, or the thrill of competition.

These shows would not have audiences unless people believe in the concept of “falling in love” as defined by “involuntary infatuation”. I really think there are people who even prefer infatuation over real love as we understand it because they’re in it for the “fun”, not the work. As long as the person they’re with is making it fun, it’s all good.

One definition of infatuation is “foolish, all-absorbing passion”. Sadly, it seems that’s what passes for love these days.

@Laurie: As usual, Laurie, I agree with everything you say (he said, giving ammunition for those who think “Laurie” is my alter ego). But in both cases you cite, a person has made an a priori determination, conscious or unconscious, of what it is they find attractive in another person, whether physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social, what have you. The chance of me “falling in love” with someone who represents the opposite of my criteria is nil–and thus, I submit, not a matter of mere “chance” at all.

I think the second type is what is generally being referred to when the phrase “falling in love” is used and spoken of as happening “by chance”.

Unfortunately many people do not decide ahead of time what kind of person they want to get involved with, so their feelings dictate this. And because their feelings are the determining factor of whether or not they are “in love”, once that feeling fades they move on looking for someone else to “fall in love” with.

@Derlin: Glad somebody’s paying attention, Derlin. Yeah, I suppose we can maybe “fall into” liking someone, but even there, I make a set of choices that determines the type of people that I “like”, so in that sense, I’m not sure that that’s really as random as it might sound. There are people I will not like, no matter what, because their personalities grate on me; there are people that I’m predisposed to like, at the same time, because I find their personalities pleasing. I may not have quantified exactly what all those personality traits are, but I will “know ’em when I see ’em”. The way the thing is phrased, that we “fall in love by chance”, seems to suggest that such things are entirely random, and I submit that they are not. Overtly arrogant people; loudmouth know-it-alls; “posers”; shallow liberals (pardon the redundancy): these are people that I do not find myself drawn to, and while I may patiently tolerate such folks, I doubt it very much that I’ll “fall into” anything with them.