Love Does Not Exist by Catalina

Love Does Not Exist by Catalina - July 2021 Scholarship Essay

Throughout over 12 years of education, we are bound to learn something shocking and unanticipated. For me, that learning moment was in the 8th grade. What was supposed to be a normal science class turned into an existential crisis an 8th grader should not be having.
My science teacher was one of the most memorable of the teachers I had. She truly showed that she cared about teaching us, 8th graders. Now, even though she was a phenomenal teacher, she did have her strange moments. This brings me into her unexpected teaching moment. We were being taught about physical science and started talking about love. She spoke of how she loved her husband and children but then stated, “Love isn’t real, it's just a chemical reaction”. The class was audible shocked. People were exclaiming that their parents loved each other. Others were questioning how this made any sense. All I was thinking was “Oh my goodness, love isn’t real.” She began explaining how love is just levels of dopamine and other hormones being released. While that fact is true, it was still surprising to hear. Most children grow up thinking love is this magical thing that happens between two people. Now imagine our surprise when we were taught love doesn’t even exist and it's not that magical.
I consider this learning experience the most unexpected because I still mention it to this day. I still question it to this day. If we are being completely honest, love does not exist. It was just a word given to the chemical reaction that occurs within our brains. Love is just a social construct. It is something society created to describe our feelings. We let love drive us through life, relationships, and even careers, even though it does not exist.
As a 12th grader, I am still thinking about a memory from 4 years ago. A memory that made no sense to remember, but is still present and impactful in my mind. I wonder if my teacher knew that saying such a simple yet deep statement could affect a student as much as it did.