Valentine’s Day │ For Showing Love or Showing Off

Let’s be real for a second. February rolls around, and suddenly the world turns into a distinct shade of pink and red that usually signals a health bar is critical. It’s Valentine’s Day, the annual event where your bank account weeps and your Instagram feed turns into a competitive sport. We have to ask ourselves a serious question: Are we actually celebrating love, or are we just participating in a global flex?

If you’ve ever scrolled through social media on Feb. 14th, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a barrage of “Boy did good” captions attached to photos of bouquets so large they require their own zip code. It feels less like an intimate connection between two souls and more like a press release.

The Social Media Spectacle of Valentine’s Day

Somewhere along the line, the quiet intimacy of romance got replaced by the need for receipts. If you didn’t post the 12-course tasting menu to your story, did you even go to dinner? If your partner didn’t buy you a teddy bear the size of a grizzly, do they even love you? Are they showing love?

It’s easy to get cynical about it. The pressure is immense. You have people panic-buying stale chocolates at the pharmacy at 5:00 PM because they forgot to preorder the “authentic artisan truffles.” We are treating Valentine’s Day like a raid boss we’re under-leveled for. The performative nature of the holiday often overshadows the actual point. We are so busy trying to curate the perfect aesthetic of romance that we forget to actually, you know, like the person we are sitting across from.

When Did A Simple Hello Become Insufficient?

“Every love story begins with a simple hello.” That’s a nice sentiment, isn’t it? It’s sweet. It’s simple. But try giving your significant other a “simple hello” on the 14th and see how that goes down. Spoiler: It ends with you sleeping on the couch.

We’ve monetized affection to the point where emotional bonds are measured in karats and calorie counts. Hallmark has over 150 different ways of showing love to say, “I tolerate you” or “I love you,” but sometimes it feels like we are just following a script. It’s NPC behavior. We go through the motions—buy the card, buy the flowers, eat the overpriced steak—because that’s what the quest log tells us to do.

Making Valentine’s Day Actually Mean Something

Okay, enough snark. Despite the commercial chaos, there is something genuinely nice about having a day dedicated to love. The trick is to unplug from the “showing off” part and focus on the “showing love” part.

You don’t need to mortgage your house to have a good Valentine’s Day. Honestly, some of the best dates involve ordering the greasy pizza you both actually like, wearing sweatpants, and roasting bad movies together. That’s intimacy. That’s knowing someone and showing love.

If you want to strengthen emotional bonds, look at love languages. Does your partner actually like gifts? Or would they prefer you just did the dishes without being asked (Acts of Service, folks, look it up)? A thoughtful gesture beats a generic diamond necklace every time. Well, most of the time.

Love Begins With You (And Maybe Some Tacos)

Here is the other side of the coin: what if you’re single? The “Love Begins With You” crowd has a point, even if it sounds like a cheesy bumper sticker.

If you don’t have a Player 2 this year, don’t sulk. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to treat yourself. Buy the chocolate. Go to the spa. Play video games for six hours straight without anyone asking you to “come socialize.” That is a valid form of love.

At the end of the day, whether you are single, taken, or “it’s complicated,” try to survive the 14th with your sanity intact. Post the picture if you want to—who are we to judge?—but make sure that when the phone goes away, the feeling is still there.

Love, Loud or Quiet—It All Counts

At its core, Valentine’s Day is about showing love in ways that feel real and meaningful, whether you’re quietly appreciating your partner or loudly flexing on social media, because showing love doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Some people thrive on grand gestures, while others believe showing love is best expressed in small, intentional moments. The pressure to perform can be loud, but showing love matters most when it feels authentic, not competitive, especially on a day built around expectations. In the end, Valentine’s Day works best when you focus less on appearances and more on what genuinely fills your heart.