Are you secretly a “hopeless romantic?”
There are many messages in this world that tell us that we are supposed to be savvy and cynical, that we are supposed to be rational and protect ourselves in our relationships. Naivete is equated with foolishness, and the worst thing that can happen is that someone pulls the wool over our eyes.
Many people act as if they believe these messages, but deep inside they never stopped believing in fairy tales and magic. They are still waiting for a Fairy Godmother or Prince Charming to come and rescue them from their mundane troubles.
Often, they hide behind jaded masks of cynicism or tough exteriors. Yet, when you scratch the surface a hopeless romantic shines forth from inside.
Are you one of these people? Below are ten signs that you are secretly a hopeless romantic.
1: You believe in your heart that “impossible things happen every day.”
The term “hopeless romantic” is in many ways an oxymoron. Romantics are full of hope. They follow dreams that others dismiss, and every now and then these dreams actually come true.
Indeed, one of the signs that you are a hopeless romantic if you know exactly where the quoted phrase in the above subheading comes from. You are very likely to be one if you know the lyrics to that song by heart. You are certainly a hopeless romantic if just seeing the phrase causes you to start singing!
For those who do not know, this phrase comes from song “Impossible” from the Rogers & Hammerstein musical Cinderella. The Fairy Godmother and Cinderella sang this song as Cinderella was being transformed to go to the ball.
But the world is full of zanies and fools, who don’t believe in sensible rules,
Who won’t believe what sensible people say,
And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes,
Impossible things are happening every day.
If in your heart you identify with these “daft and dewy-eyed dopes,” you are probably a hopeless romantic.
2: You love old Disney classics
Speaking of Cinderella, another sign that you are a hopeless romantic is if you love Disney classics, particularly the older ones. Newer Disney films such as Frozen, Moana, and Brave have portrayed strong and capable heroines. They are fun and probably portray a more “realistic” view when it comes to life and relationships.
Speaking of Cinderella, another sign that you are a hopeless romantic is if you love Disney classics, particularly the older ones. Newer Disney films such as Frozen, Moana, and Brave have portrayed strong and capable heroines. They are fun and probably portray a more “realistic” view when it comes to life and relationships.
3: You take in strays
One of the ways that you can tell if you a hopeless romantic is by the pets that you have. If you have pedigree pets that you bought from a reputable breeder after researching your specific needs, you are probably quite responsible. You are probably not a hopeless romantic, however.
If you got your pet or pets from the shelter to give an unwanted pet a home, you are a kind and loving person. It is a little more likely that you are a hopeless romantic, but probably not.
If are a hopeless romantic, all or most of the pets you have ever had have shown up at your doorstep. You are the go-to person for those who find a stray kitten who needs a home. A dog might have howled outside your door in the rain, you brought it to the cover of your porch, and she spends the rest of her life with you.
4: You love simple stories with happy endings
In modern times, a plot is not considered deep or realistic unless it has complicated twists and deals with “moral ambiguity.” Many popular novels and stories are “dark” or “edgy.” Cynicism is deeply woven into much of Modern Western culture.
Yet, if you are a hopeless romantic, these types of stories do not really satisfy you.
Instead, you long for romantic comedies, children’s shows, old movies, and other simple stories where the good guys win and the bad guys get what they deserve. You love it even more when the villain sees the error of their ways and becomes good.
You love inspirational tales in which a nobody rises to greatness by their hard work and virtue. You cry easily at touching moments. Happy endings are an essential feature for any story, and a sad ending will ruin it for you.
You might think of your favorite stories as “guilty pleasures,” but they are nourishing for your heart and for your spirit.
5: You fantasize about “meet-cutes”
You love the scenes in romantic comedies in which two people meet in an unusual, cute, or awkward way and eventually fall in love. In your daydreams, this is the way you meet the person who will be “The One.”
When you are out and about doing your ordinary activities, you think about ways that this could possibly be a “meet-cute” in your own real-life romantic comedy.
You love hearing how your friends met their romantic interests, and you cannot wait until it is your turn to meet someone that you will fall in love with.
6: You cannot resist pictures of adorable animals on social media
The internet and social media are filled with all sorts of adorable pictures of animals and other sweet things. Try as you might, you cannot resist clicking when you see them.
While almost any cute pictures will draw your attention, you will be particularly fond of pictures and stories that depict unusual friendships between animals, such as those between goats and cats, ducks and kittens, and monkeys and pigeons.
You will also find pictures of baby animals of all kinds irresistible. You are even drawn to pictures of babies of animals that most people find repulsive, such as baby spiders or snakes. If you are a hopeless romantic, all babies are cute to you.
7: You dream of a fairy tale wedding
There is nothing that a hopeless romantic longs for more than a fairy tale wedding. Your fantasies are filled with ideas of what your wedding should be like, and you may have been planning this wedding since you were a child. You may have even thought about your wedding when you were too young to even date.
This does not mean that you want a super-expensive wedding. The most important thing is not the amount of money that you spend, or even having the most stylish dress. Instead, what matters most is that the wedding has deep symbolic meaning.
Your idea of what a fairy tale wedding is might not be practical or even possible…but that does not stop you from dreaming.
8: You write your own love songs or poetry
If you are a hopeless romantic inside, you are likely to need an outlet to express it. One very good outlet is writing love songs or poetry. You may even have written some when you were single, for the person you might fall in love with someday.
If you do find a romantic interest, you may decide to share your creative efforts with the object of your affection. Hopefully, your songs and poetry will be good, and not just heartfelt. On the other hand, you may also be shy and self-conscious, and keep them hidden.
If you are not the creative type, you still appreciate the songs and poetry of others. If someone writes them for you, they will win your heart, whether they have any talent or not.
9: You believe in the best in people
One of the hallmark signs of being a hopeless romantic is that you believe in the best in people. You have been accused of wearing “rose-colored glasses,” and you tend to think that most people are good at heart.
This tendency may have gotten you in trouble from time to time, and you may have had your heart broken by someone who was less kind-hearted than you are. You may even have been cheated or taken advantage of.
On the other hand, your belief in the good in people may very well have been the catalyst for one or even many people to have turned around and changed their lives for the better.
10: You love to give presents “just because”
You may be a hopeless romantic if you spend a lot of time in thinking about and giving presents for special occasions. Yet, you are almost certain to be one if you love to give presents “just because.” You like to surprise people with gifts for no other reason than you wanted to give something to them.
This will not just be limited to your spouse or your significant other. You love making people happy, and you will give gifts to your family and even your friends. Hopefully, your spouse or significant other will understand and will see that is one of the wonderful and charming things about you.
