he saying goes, “When it seems too good to be true … it usually is!” As far back as I can remember I believed in fairy tales, especially the ones about love, like “love at first sight” and “happily ever after” and “one true love”. We’ve all been brainwashed to believe there is a Prince Charming out there that is going to sweep us off our feet and rescue us from our normal or dismal lives. It started with Cinderella being rescued from her life that was a living hell of servitude and abuse by a man she only danced with one night. Disney, while not the only culprit, has groomed whole generations of boys and girls to buy into the fairytale that women need to be rescued and a handsome prince will do the rescuing.
Pop icon Taylor Swift had this to say: “When I was a little girl I used to read fairy tales. In fairy tales you meet Prince Charming and he's everything you ever wanted. In fairy tales the bad guy is very easy to spot. The bad guy is always wearing a black cape so you always know who he is. Then you grow up and you realize that Prince Charming is not as easy to find as you thought. You realize the bad guy is not wearing a black cape and he's not easy to spot; he's really funny, and he makes you laugh, and he has perfect hair.”
Psychoanalysts suggest, “When we meet someone to whom we respond intensely—and to whom we are drawn physically, emotionally, intellectually, or (jackpot!) all three—our protective shell is punctured. ‘Cupid’s arrow’ represents love’s abrupt, unanticipated, somewhat painful penetration of one’s self.” What happens when Cupid’s arrow is shot into your heart by someone a little less savory than Pixar’s Prince Charming? Beware of fireworks that seem to burn a lot brighter and thunder a lot louder than you’re used to. Look deep into the eyes of your new Prince Charming. For as he sweeps you off your feet, pledging love at first sight, showering you with compliments, surprising you with thoughtful gifts, and promising a happily ever after; complete with plans for a ring, all in the first few weeks … well, when it seems too good to be true, it usually is. That onslaught of affection and adoration I’ve just described is also known as “Love Bombing.” While it can feel magical at first, if you can manage to put your freight train of a hot new romance on pause, you might catch a glimpse of the catastrophe that is brewing.
seem to burn a lot brighter and thunder a lot louder than you’re used to. Look deep into the eyes of your new Prince Charming. For as he sweeps you off your feet, pledging love at first sight, showering you with compliments, surprising you with thoughtful gifts, and promising a happily ever after; complete with plans for a ring, all in the first few weeks … well, when it seems too good to be true, it usually is. That onslaught of affection and adoration I’ve just described is also known as “Love Bombing.” While it can feel magical at first, if you can manage to put your freight train of a hot new romance on pause, you might catch a glimpse of the catastrophe that is brewing.
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