There is no such thing as love at first sight.

Fairytales have tinted our perception of love. The usual storyline of a fairytale goes like this: A princess is in some sort of distress. She needs someone, usually a prince to rescue her. The gallant prince, all tall and dashing, comes to save her. They meet, lock lips, and they live happily ever after that, presumably. It's straight-forward, fast, and easy to digest. Put simply, boy meets girl and they fall in love. We grow up listening to this stories, and fall under the illusion that they can happen in real life.

But I would argue that such an optimistic view of love is not applicable in the real world. The reality is that love at first sight, contrary to what our childhood stories have led us to believe, does not give us enough information about the other person to come to the conclusion that he or she is indeed the right one for us.

A first sight merely gives us a glimpse of who the other person actually is. When we see someone, we make a judgement based primarily on their physical appearance - akin to judging a book by its cover, which we're told never to do. We only take notice of their attractiveness, without considering their personal qualities. First sight would also include our first impression of that person - they conducts themselves when we first meet them. However, this impression is a completely random one and we shouldn't be so quick to judge based on that one fleeting moment.

What's more important are the personal qualities belonging to the person. These personal qualities will only come through with interaction and observation of that person. Moreover, this interaction and observation has to be done over a prolonged period of time, in different contexts. Only then will their true colours show.

Knowing the person well is a prerequisite of love. We are a species which mate for life. Marriage is the social norm, and once we are married to somebody, we are bound by society to stay with that person forever. This lifelong cohabitation will not be possible without an intimate knowledge of the other party - something that "love at first sight" does not give us.

An extension of cohabitation is cooperation in raising an offspring. The act of mating is a spur of the moment action. Human beings are equipped with the natural ability to spot more fertile mates. What we see as "attractive qualities" such as wider hips and pouty lips in a female, are actually physical manifestation of their fertility. If the only goal in "love" is to produce a child, "at first sight" would be enough. Today, a couple is expected to raise the child. This process demands for more than physical attraction - it needs compatible qualities between the mother and father. Qualities which needs more than "first sight" to ascertain.

Thus, it can be concluded that idea of love at first sight is best left to the realm of fairytales.

PS: This was for an Analytical Skills assignment. On hindsight, #facepalm.