Modern Valentine's Day - A Corporate Money Grab
Big box stores have replaced small and medium-sized locally owned stores in some areas. Society ignores seven types of love by placing romantic love on a pedestal. Self-love is most critical to learn.
Modern Valentine’s Day has become another shallow, consumeristic, unoriginal, and bland corporate holiday propped up to support big box stores and card companies like Hallmark. Most modern holidays are merely corporate money grabs by big box stores to make you feel like you are participating in the holiday.
You go into the same store. You see the same holiday cards. The cards are filled with the same variety of messages. These cards use the same designs. They are all unoriginal copies of each other.
Chocolate is even commercialized. You only have the same big box names to choose from. The chocolate is not very flavorful. You have no idea how old it is. The brand has a best-by date to make sure the merchandise gets moved. You will probably be able to find that same chocolate for half off after Valentine’s Day passes.
You could find tasty chocolate if you went to your local chocolatier.
The roses are fake, or you only have a few choices in the flower department. A dozen roses are sold in the big box stores for lazy shoppers to buy for their significant other unless they decide to go to a local flower store.
In the age of formulas and unoriginality, it can be easier to make an impression. But that requires creativity and being willing to leave the crowd.
Then, there is the overpriced romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. The go-to Valentine’s Day dinner that society pushes is steak and lobster with a side of red wine. You could do something else. You could also go out for an expensive dinner. Restaurants normally will do prix fixe meals for Valentine’s Day or require reservations in advance for Valentine’s Day.
You are expected to get your freak on after dinner with your lover. Society expects you to be masterful in bed. You must know how to do every little thing to pleasure your lover. You could purchase an adult toy from a big box sex toy store, in-person or online, if you want to get kinky in bed for this corporate holiday celebrating erotic love.
Big Box Versus Local Stores
Everything that becomes corporatized loses the charm of small and medium-sized businesses. The personality, flare, and little touches that the small and medium business owners do to encourage customers to come back are lost with big chain stores. This is seen across the United States, even in other countries, where the big box stores are displacing the local stores.
The prices may be lower at a big box store on some items. It could be more convenient to go to a chain store. You may have one or more of the same chain stores where you live. This larger footprint gives an advantage to big box stores over local stores.
You know what to expect when you go to a corporate store compared to a local store. A study by Newswire in 2020 found that 93% of customers [in Canada] felt safer shopping at a small business compared to a chain store. Along with the added feeling of security, you help ensure that your dollars stay in your local communities economy when you shop local.
If you are celebrating Valentine’s Day, you could choose to support a local small business rather than a chain store. You can probably find the same things at a store in your neighborhood or nearby. It may even be better quality than the mass-produced products with which most big box stores stock their shelves.
Society Focuses Too Much On Romantic Love
Our culture gives the most attention to romantic love compared to the other types of love. Erotic love is celebrated on Valentine’s Day with chocolate and wine, getting dinner, and having sex. This sole attention on romantic love neglects the other types of love.
There are eight types of love: romantic love (eros), timeless love (pragma), playful love (ludus), unconditional love (agape), familial love (storge), affectionate love (philia), obsessive love (mania), and self-love (philautia). The other seven range from the love between family to the love of friendship to self-love. These different forms of love are neglected by a society that worships romantic love.
Society places a huge emphasis on romantic love and dating. The dating industrial complex wants everyone to pair up. This overemphasis on romance neglects the other types of love, especially self-love. Romantic love relies on external validation. You receive your confirmation from another person in a romantic relationship.
The Importance Of Self-Love
Rather than focus on romantic love or worry that you cannot find a date for Valentine’s Day, you can begin to focus on self-love. Self-love is how you learn about yourself. If you do not know about yourself, you will be easily distracted by others.
Internal validation is more important than external validation.
You can learn about yourself by spending time in solitude. You can figure out your strengths and weaknesses along with your likes and dislikes. If you do not know yourself, it is easier for people to use you. If you do not know yourself, you will be more susceptible to being a people pleaser.
Celebrate self-love and get to know yourself this Valentine’s Day. You don’t need a lover to be happy. The only person you need is you.
The best part of self-love is that you don’t need to participate in purchasing products or be in a romantic relationship to get your sense of self-worth. It comes from within. You can practice and learn self-love even though you know all your warts and failures. You are responsible for your happiness. You can then develop self-confidence. You can achieve your goals.
Love yourself first, then love others. Thrive as a single person!
Secure Single’s Algorithm recommends:
Corporate America, look out, look out
Corporate America, who's gonna save us, who's gonna save us now?
We’re not for everyone.