^^^^^ this

What a load of crap.
Lets look at what you wrote for a second.
We call a lot of things love and it can be confusing.
I dunno about you but I KNOW when I feel love for someone, its not confusing.
If you want romantic love or someone to meet your needs, you prioritize attraction in body and personality and hope it’s mutually sincere.
HOPE is a fantasy. You can't realistically expect to base the reality of life on a fantasy. Love is an emotional state. Not sure about you but my emotions don't control me, I control them.
Online is as good as any place to start if you are careful.
Only if you have already exhausted all possible real life options, which indicates, desperation.
A lifetime love though requires unconditional love on your part though and a generous dose of Grace.
First, a lifetime love requires, by definition, an entire lifetime of loving. Plus, there is no such thing as unconditional love.
No partner will be able to go a lifetime without letting you down, but forgiveness is an incredible antidote to bitterness and frustration.
The very concept of forgiveness indicates that expectations have not been met. At what point do I have to live up to your expectations and how is that considered love?
If you seek someone worthy of your lifetime of unconditional love, be cautious.
By definition this statement is contradictory. Worthy and unconditional do not fit. Can't you see that being worthy is a condition?
Online may be a starting point but it’s easy even for the sincere to be less than forthcoming.
Again, contradictory as in sincerity implies honesty and less than forthcoming implies lying.

Wonderful words thrown together may fool some of the people most of the time but some people need more than words for meaning. They have to make sense.

The only real truth concerning love is that it is something that is felt within. Its up to each of us to determine how that love manifests in our relationships with those we love. There is no guarantee than our love will be returned to us in any way shape or form from anyone else.
When we give our love freely to those we love, it is only by chance that we receive any in return. To place a stipulation on the love we give, for love being returned is merely bargaining for a beneficial outcome.
I give my love freely.

I am glad that you are not confused Tom. If you give your love freely without expecting anything in return then you are practicing unconditional love. I am not sure that we disagree on this at all.

However, I do know couples who started out on line and were successful. I don't have the experience to encourage or discourage it.

I would also suggest that everyone does not have as clear of an understanding as you do as to what love is. I simply choose not to debate whether what they are looking for is good or bad.

Finally, please don't accuse me of using wonderful words, I only use the vocabulary my current education allows.

You are correct and I worded the "sincere"/"less that forthcoming" poorly.. lack of wonderful words because wonderful words would be consistent, right? :)

My point was that even someone who is not intentionally being "devious" and "deceptive" might still hold something back that would be obvious if you met in person. I should have communicated better.

I did struggle with the word worthy. I was simply trying (and failing) to imply that to offer unconditional love in a lifetime relationship should be done with considerable thought and caution.

We might completely disagree on the concept of forgiveness. In my view, forgiveness is necessary when there is perceived harm. That harm could have something to do with expectations (a child feeling abandoned by a parent) or real harm. The point of forgiveness, in my view, is not to allow the other person "off the hook" but rather to free yourself from the control they have over you.

Have a great day and I do appreciate your input and breaking it down. I have noticed your posts and you are very thoughtful and direct in your responses. I will choose my words a little more carefully and respond a little less frequency.

Oh, no worrys.
I only posted what I did, as I did because many people are really confused about love and struggle for clarity.
I just feel it was important to point out that misconceptions happen frequently and are perpetuated without intention.

On the surface, things look rosy but when examined in depth, with accuracy, they get muddled, so often what happens when contemplating love.

I have found that most of the time, not all the time, we tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. I really don't know why? Perhaps it has to do with the stark cold finality of reality?

The point I was making, and will continue to make, is that love is purely a personal perception and we can never hope to be able to make someone else feel what we feel inside.

not worried.. I meant what I said. I appreciated your thoughts and input. On this topic I suspect our views are not that far apart.

I view love as an action and a choice, which may be quiet different than a "perception", but I have no argument with the our inability to control how someone else thinks or feels toward us.

Don't hesitate to call me out if I say something resembling "crap" lol. Have a great night Tom. :)

"No worries" is a phrase I picked up at another (non dating) forum that means no problem, not a big deal. I think it originates in Australia?

I'm not really looking to call out anyone, just giving my opinion and sometimes it seems confrontational when I word it ineffectively.
I probably could have used a bit better tact but I am not one for using tact, often to my own detriment.
I must express that I hold no animosity towards anyone.