Although the brain governs our most basic needs such as hunger, sleep and rational thought, it is the heart - at least in the metaphorical sense - that appears to rule our sensual and emotional desires. Human beings have long imagined the heart as the seat of love, longing and vulnerability. Consider a man hopelessly in love with someone who does not return his feelings. Under his breath he murmurs, “You are in my cold and hopeless heart tonight.” In this moment we see how deeply unshared affection can wound, shaping a person’s inner world regardless of whether the beloved even knows. Matters of the heart do not require reciprocity to be powerful.
Romantic feeling is often dismissed as impractical or naïve, especially in a society that prizes logic and productivity. Those who follow emotion over calculation may be judged as reckless or immature. Yet such dismissal overlooks the profound insight that romanticism offers into the human condition. To feel intensely is not a weakness but a sign of engagement with life. Without people who dare to value emotion, art, poetry and even compassion itself would be greatly diminished.
Acts inspired by love frequently appear foolish from the outside. To abandon one’s plans at a moment’s notice for another person, to laugh freely while soaked by rain, or to attempt the seemingly impossible without preparation - these behaviours defy conventional reason. However, they also reveal a willingness to prioritise connection and experience over safety. The romantic individual accepts uncertainty in exchange for the chance of joy. What appears irrational may instead be courageous.
Furthermore, such spontaneity allows romantic people to savour the present in a way that more cautious individuals often cannot. Where others see inconvenience, they see adventure; where others anticipate embarrassment, they anticipate memory. Each impulsive act carries with it a spark of hope - the belief that life is richer when felt deeply rather than merely managed. Their foolishness, then, is not emptiness but abundance, an overflow of feeling that refuses to be contained by caution.
Ultimately, the heart’s influence reminds us that human life is not sustained by logic alone. Reason may guide survival, but love gives survival meaning. Even unfulfilled affection, even seemingly absurd gestures, testify to a capacity for wonder and devotion that elevates existence beyond mere routine. Rather than mocking those who live by their hearts, we might recognise in them a lesson: that to risk pain is also to make joy possible, and that the most memorable moments of life are rarely the most sensible ones.