Can you live a full life without romantic love?

[ForestGoblin]

I'm not sure I could and it scares me because most of us will end up without it eventually, one way or another.

Tell me tales of your fulfilment through other more sensible things.

Of course. Daft question. And you can too.

Active mind, activebody, stay curious, enjoy the world. Easy.

Of course you can. If you're dependent on romantic love for a "full" life you're essentially saying it you're not a complete person without having a sexual partner around, and that nothing else in your life, and no other people, really matter.

I should hope so, I’ve been divorced two years and I’m really enjoying myself. Not interested in starting anything with anyone new at all. Focusing on myself, my children, travelling, learning new things. No drama, no overthinking, no back and forth. I spend lots of time with my friends and feel like the boss of my life and I love it. I’m sure there are great relationships out there, but I have yet to see/experience a particularly healthy or mutually beneficial one in real life. That may be sad, but it’s reality to me.

Yes. One door closes and another one opens etc

A fulfilling life is certainly possible without romantic love. I like to have a little love-interest on the side, though.

Hell yes.

Yes, and some people might actually prefer they’re life without romantic love.

Of course you can, and what exactly do you mean by a 'full' life? The happiest, most content people I know are single by choice.

Of course you can. I hope you are not insinuating that those of us who gave up on "romantic love" years ago and found that we are much happier do not have a "full life". Because you would be very, very, wrong.

ditto comments above.
is the dramatic position driven by something , OP?

Yes of course you can . No one should be reliant on another person to give them a ' complete ' life . Most people go it alone at some point .

Romantic love is a bit dream world to be honest, but l would want passionate sex.

What's your definition of romantic love? An all consuming passionate physical relationship or a life partner that shares your ideals and goals?
You can with without either or both, I don't think it should define you as a person. Remember, people can still be very lonely, even in a relationship.

God yes. In fact I think romantic love holds us back from achieving our full potential in so many ways. You spend so much time running around worrying about someone else's "needs" and trying to please them you don't think at all about your own fufilment.

When I look back at my own "romantic" life I realise most of it was a hormonal mess: me convincing myself I needed some undeserving no mark to satisfy my "romantic" needs just because I wanted to have sex with them.

One of the good things about the menopause (and by God there's not many) is you suddenly wake up and realise what an utter waste of time it is running around trying to make men happy. I want to spend however many years I have left thinking about myself and my child and not being derailed by men.

God yes. It’s like the people who ask whether you can have a ‘full life’ without kids. Definitely to both.

I’ve been divorced nearly 10 years now & I honestly don’t know how I’d fit a partner into my life if I wanted one.

I hope so.
I’m bot yet / haven’t found the way, yet.
But I hope someday I’ll be better.
I’ve never been in a romantic relationship, not by choice and tbh I’m sad about - not about whole life in general, but yes, of course I’m missing out on a huge part of life and experiences I wish I’d had.
I focus on other things, but the sadness is almost always in the background.
Doesn’t help that people keep reminding and bullying about my signleness.
I hope one day people would be kinder.

Forgat to say that I’m in my late 30’s so it won’t ever happen to me.
I’m learning to let go.

I love DH.

But I would argue strenuously that a life with just romance and no independence is worse than the converse. I have bungee jumped, played games on a beach at midnight on Zanzibar, facilitated a group of indigenous people in the Americas, saved lives, all while DH either wasn't in my life or was elsewhere.

We've been sold a lie, that the pinnacle of female existence is passively being loved. Cobblers to that.

And I'd bet that one of the reasons DH loves me is exactly that. Ironically.

Yes of course!
"Needing" romantic love is really about needing external validation. Learn to like yourself, surround yourself with friends and family who care about you and make your life interesting and fulfilling. You'll find you don't need somebody else to validate you through romance then but conversely you may find that somewhere along the way this approach does actually attract the right person.

Hear hear.

Doesn’t help that people keep reminding and bullying about my singleness.

If people do that, @UglyNameChange, I’d say that they’re either a bit thick or have a secret uncomfortable conviction that they might be better off single too.

Of course you can.

I have a lovely son, friends, family, career, a house, hobbies, interests. Most weeks I'm so busy, something that I'd planned doesn't get done.

I have the love for, and of, my family and my son, creative expression, financial freedom, plans for the future.

I haven't found a man that I could trust but that fact doesn't stop me having a great time.

Absolutely. I’ve been single for years, out of choice. I did date someone for 3 months earlier this year after over a decade being single and yes I enjoyed it, but my life is much easier without a man. I have a lot of friends, I go out with friends all the time and have a very active social life. No-one to answer to, no-one moaning at me or giving me the silent treatment as I’m going out again. Plenty of people to go on holiday with, adult children now to spend time with. I see friends in marriages and relationships with people who drive them potty and they constantly complain about them. It certainly doesn’t make me think that I want that

Reminds me of a woman I know who declared I'm single because I'd "only seen the worst of men" - this from a woman who does nothing but complain about her wilfully incompetent husband. I pointed out that if I'd seen the worst of men, I wouldn't be alive to talk about them.