Romantic?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

So I have often wondered how other people would define this word.  I feel like it's often a catch-all word for doing things that might make your significant other happy, some sort of demonstrative display that is out of the ordinary.  Some people attribute specific meaning to it.  I've tried to understand this word for a long time and how it relates to everyday life.  It isn't a strong point for me, whatever it means.  What do you feel like it means to "be romantic"?

[sonatafanica]

uh well i go by the definition where "romantic" is not exclusive at all to matters of love or anything like that, because the real definition i suppose is that romanticized things are idealized versions of them.

edit: uh maybe to clarify

romantic is kind of like the opposite of "realist"

[King Postwhore]

To me it's one on one attention.  It's giving all your attention to your significant other.  It's the simple things the other in your life loves.

[yorost]

Back in the 1990's I did an internet search (I think dogpile was in, then) for "romantic period" for high school English.  ...I now believe romantic means lots of porn and the period qualifies it to disgusting porn.  Sheesh, things are tame now days.

[El Barto]

uh well i go by the definition where "romantic" is not exclusive at all to matters of love or anything like that, because the real definition i suppose is that romanticized things are idealized versions of them.

edit: uh maybe to clarify

romantic is kind of like the opposite of "realist"

I like opposite of realist.

The non-getinherpants concept is certainly much more interesting.  In an early Lit class,  one of our papers was to take a modern movie and write about the romantic elements in it.  While everybody else did [freaking] When Harry Met Sally,  I wrote mine on Goodfellas.  Piece of cake and one of my better papers.  As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.  The opening line pretty much sums it up.

[bout to crash]

uh well i go by the definition where "romantic" is not exclusive at all to matters of love or anything like that, because the real definition i suppose is that romanticized things are idealized versions of them.

edit: uh maybe to clarify

romantic is kind of like the opposite of "realist"

Yeah, I think of it in this way usually, or sentimental... but there's also the idea of someone doing something "romantic" within a relationship or whatever. Also a time in the 18th century...

[bertoltus]

Always personal.
Never perfect.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

but there's also the idea of someone doing something "romantic" within a relationship or whatever

I think this idea is where I find the most confusion.  It seems like such a nebulous concept.  Doing something romantic.  Maybe I really am just that dumb about it, and it isn't that difficult as I think.  Sure, things like buying flowers for no reason or surprising the SO with a night out to dinner and a movie out of the blue - those are things that could be called romantic.  But that could leave one with the impression that making some sort of romantic display should ideally have some sort of cost attached to it, which isn't always feasible or necessary, really.  The trick I'm trying to figure out how is how to be that person in day-to-day life.  When you're around someone all the time, you get comfortable with that person.  Not that you take them for granted, or appreciate them any less, or love them any less, but it gets easy to lose sight of how to keep that romantic spirit alive, like it always is in the beginning.

[Adami]

uh well i go by the definition where "romantic" is not exclusive at all to matters of love or anything like that, because the real definition i suppose is that romanticized things are idealized versions of them.

edit: uh maybe to clarify

romantic is kind of like the opposite of "realist"

Yes but while similar in outcome, Romanticism and Idealism aren't the same concepts. Romance is about love in nature, while romanticizing is idealizing based on love.

[MasterShakezula]

It's a type of music popular with German nationalists during the post WW1 woes.

It helps that twas some real awesome music.  (Think Beethoven or Wagner)