Either way, we're going to lose

I am a helpless romantic.  I am a sucker for tales of love.  Perhapd the truth about love, though, is that it does not exist.  I believe in love between family members - parents, siblings, cousins, aunts - but I am coming around to the idea that true romantic love does not.  I see no evidence of someone loving someone else for eternity.  People love the idea of people but when reality hits and they see that the person of their affections is, like everyone, imperfect cracks start to showin the relationship. Passion dies and interest fades.

I have watched a number of friends that are on the dating scene recently and there are repeating patterns in their interactions.  

For men it's always about the hunt; the chase to get a woman into bed.  That's it.  Plain and simple.  Once a man has a woman he's no longer interested in her.  All the traits he liked initially become irritating.  The quick responses that were initially considered flirtatious and intriguing are viewed as  neediness.  The perception of her attire from sexy to slutty.  The quirks of her personality that originally interested a man are seen as foolish and annoying.  He disconnects until she gets fed up and walks away.  He's got what he wanted and moves onto the next piece of prey.

For women, it starts as an investigation and exploration of a man's personality.  She wants to understand what makes him tick.  She welcomes the compliments that flow freely at the start of the interaction but, as time goes by they stop and she is left wondering what she's done wrong.  Often she'll try to up the ante but it generally doesn't work and she is left with disappointment and regret.  

Most women are looking for companionship; someone to share their life with.  Men are looking for a fuck. I realise I am making generalisations and that, for some, it is the other way around. Regardless, it is so rare that interest between two people lasts more than a month. Then monotony kicks in. People get bored or complacent or both and the spark fizzles and fades like a cheap firework on New Year's Eve.