“Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love.”

Since our inception, everything from songs and poems to classic romance novels and cheesy romantic-comedy movies have drilled these ideas into our head.

Indeed, love can be an indescribable feeling that is only comprehended when it has you in its vise-like grasp, and of such deep complexity that certainly no 15-inch opinion column can possibly do it justice. But as I observe the world around me, I find it more difficult to believe Hugh Grant’s words in the opening of Love Actually that assure that “love actually is all around.”

This is not to say that I have simply been watching too much daytime TV lately and believe every relationship ends in either a 17th failed paternal DNA test on Maury or a mob-induced brawl fueled by the chants of “Jerry, Jerry!” It is just that the majority of relationships I witness fail to live up to the fairy-tale ending Walt Disney led me to believe was in store for all of us.

We live in a country where the divorce rate is 50 percent for first marriages, 67 percent for the ambitious second marriage and 74 percent for those who actually believe the third time’s the charm. Is this unfortunate result due to a pop culture that promotes unrealistic expectations of love in those who seek it, or is it because of a modern trend of settling for those who arouse the body but fail to stimulate the mind and touch the soul?

Call it being overly optimistic or just downright naïve, but I still like to believe that every Harry has a Sally out there — that somewhere amid the gaggle of online dating profiles and in the midst of chaotic chance encounters, there is someone ready to dazzle you with their perfect combination of imperfections.

But in our fast-paced lives, we find ourselves more willing to settle for quick infatuation instead of the “real deal.” Certainly, basic physical attraction is the starting point for any romantic relationship. As overly hormonal college students, sensual exploration is a natural and important aspect of the self-discovery process. The problem occurs when this becomes the shallow foundation of the partnership. Eventually abs fade and breasts sag, and suddenly, an entire union has collapsed.

It seems as if those who have never felt love are more willing to fall for a relationship based on lust, while those of us who have been hurt before tend to remain too reserved to fully trust. This struggle to find the appropriate balance between blind faith and logical resolve forces many of us to give our hearts to those unworthy, or worse, to never really fall at all.

Perhaps even more tragic are those couples who remain together simply because comfort and habit dictate it. Time has left them unable to distinguish the bond between them, yet unable to sever it as well. Instead of venturing out into the emotional unknown to seek out the love they desire, they remain confined to a life without risk and consequently without reward.

Not everyone can send off a letter to an unknown stranger they hear on the Seattle radio and find true love. If that were the case, Taylor Swift and I would already be cruising around the Caribbean together drinking margaritas and eating chocolate-dipped strawberries. You will likely have to go through many duds before the right one enters your life.

I urge all of you to discover the love that timeless stories are made of; find someone who lights up your life, brings new perspective and meaning to your world and makes you want to be better than what you are. No one deserves to settle for anything less.

Reach columnist Jeff Dickson at opinion@dailyuw.com.