This post is the second one in the Steven Universe perception series. In this post, I will focus on a quality permeating the atmosphere of the Steven Universe series - love. We have all known Pearl after Part 1. We have learned her sacrifice, loyalty, and best of all, unconditional love. But what does it mean to love someone? And does loving oneself the prerequisite for them to love others?
What is love? It is both a philosophical and pragmatic question that I fail to find a definite answer to. Love comes in many forms, many eras, and many times. We love our family, our lovers, our friends, our pets, our neighborhoods, or ourselves. The definition of love varies from a person to another, and so are its expressions. Sometimes, love means expressing the deepest feelings when we awkwardly say "I love you, Mom" or tell our crush that we actually like them. Sometimes, love means subtle behaviors when our parents silently support our aspirations. Sometimes, love means letting them go.
To our Pearl, love means respect, loyalty, and companionship. She respected her Diamond when Pink chose to love Mr. Universe and gave birth to Steven. Steven became Pearl's new symbol of love. Pearl taught Steven how to manifest his powers, shared with him memories of the Crystal Gems, but those events were only after Pearl could come to terms with the permanent disappearance of her beloved Pink Diamond. But she moved forward by loving Steven, Garnet, Amethyst, and later, all of those around her.
Does Pearl love herself? It's a question that I also fail to answer until recently. In the past, she was conditioned to believe that her feelings are inconsequential, which means she did not respect her feelings. But she still loved others. When Steven taught Pearl to love herself, Pearl's love for others still remain unchanged. This flow of emotions caused me to wonder about what we usually say: that we need to love ourselves before we can love others. But how about Pearl? How about us?
Sometimes we doubt our feelings. We think that we do not deserve love, prestige, or happiness. Yet, we still believe that such privileges are meant for others. Even when you think you do not deserve love, you still aspire to make others feel loved. Even when you consider yourself a failure, you still yearn for a community where others can achieve their dreams. You may not love yourself, but you still love others.
Why? Life is a conundrum, especially when it's pertained to feelings. But the only thing I can say is: even when you do not love yourself, subconsciously, you still aspire to love others. Likewise, others may not love themselves, but you love them. It's a quid pro quo of love. In the end, Pearl loves the Crystal Gems, and no matter how much she considers herself a failure, the Crystal Gems will always love her. So, loving yourself and loving others are not cause-effect relationships. They do not necessarily lead to each other. The key here is just to love.
What is love? I don't know. But when do we feel loved? When we are surrounded by those we love.
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