3 Unforgettable love lessons from the hit Netflix show “Love is Blind”

It’s been a while since I’ve watched a relationship-based reality show that got me hooked into it like season 1 of the top-rated Netflix show, Love is Blind. After seeing it brought up again and again on my timeline, I figured I’d give it a shot and binge the 10-episode series over the weekend.

It wasn’t until Episode 9 that I realized I need to blog about this since there is much to take away from this show about strangers who risk marrying someone they have never seen before (in a nutshell). Before I get into the lessons that came up, I do want to warn readers who may not have finished the series that there may be spoilers, so be forewarned.

I also want to save on words here by bypassing the show’s premise, which you can find here to get more context on the show. I’m here to talk with the folks who watched this intently like I did, lol. With that, here are some of the points that resonated with me the most while watching this series:

It was good to see some of the men not let up on what they wanted, even though it didn’t benefit some in the end. For instance, I really appreciate Mark’s fighter spirit to pursue Jessica throughout the process, but his efforts weren’t reciprocated as they should have been. For those who got into the show, his fiancé Jessica was portrayed to be THE WORST, acting wishy-washy about being with him and consistently bringing up their 10-year age difference (her being older). As one of my besties said, she didn’t want him like he wanted her because she wasn’t attracted to him like that, or better yet, like Barnett, the other guy she was “dating” ‘til she realized Barnett was being indecisive with multiple options.

We got a chance to see men knowing what they want but not get it (Mark, Kenny), a man being indecisive but comes around at the end (Barnett), and then there’s Cameron, who many of the ladies on social media would love to clone for themselves. From the start it seemed that Cameron, the scientist from Maine, wanted to be with Lauren, the beautiful content creator. Despite her reservations about starting a new life with a man, bringing a white man home to meet her parents, and losing some of her independence, they made it to the altar and got married like so many of us watchers hoped they would.

It was refreshing to see some of the men be consistent in who they wanted for their wives. We saw more unsure women than unsure men, which is refreshing since it’s assumed that men don’t want marriage. I think they (men) want the idea of marriage, but many men in our age group are not where they want to be to take on the responsibilities that come with marriage (providing, emotional maturity, etc.) Cameron was a standout in the show because not only was he consistent in showing Lauren that she’s the one for him, but he showed her that he was ready for marriage. One example of that was him bringing Lauren over to his three-bedroom house where he stayed by himself, with the hopes of one day making it a home with his future wife and children. It was a modern day hypergamous fairy tale, and I believe that’s what made this story line in the dating show so enduring to see.

While the men had their sights set on their respective fiancés, the women had to consider within what was holding them back from entering marriage as openly. I’ll point out that the older women, Lauren (32), Kelly (33), and Jessica (34) all had reservations for their own reasons, including divorce trauma, abandonment, intimacy issues, and indecisiveness. Amber (late 20s) however, knew what she wanted when she got with Barnett and was steadfast in being there for him as his wife and they made it to marriage. I truly wonder if age played a factor in this, but I’m not overlooking her ambition either.

This is why I like to share often on BLISS to do the work necessary through faith, so that when women are found and when men are ready to find, they come to the relationship whole, healed and selfless in their motives. We will not be perfect when that time comes for us respectively, but we at least won’t be unsure about what and who we want—in Jesus’ name.

Some bonus lessons I wanted to touch on briefly came in different moments throughout the season. Carlton and Diamond’s story line had me heated, but it brought up a real point that being honest from the beginning will save you time and energy. Had Carlton gone about disclosing his bisexuality to Diamond in the dating phase, she would have the chance to make the best decision for her instead of feeling deceived when they made it to Mexico. Did anyone else notice his switch up in personality after they got to the resort? Thankfully Diamond did not stick around with his bipolar ways and for calling her out of her name (Chi-town girls don’t play).

Also I wanted to note how family history plays a huge factor in how those in this series perceived love and marriage. From the negative to the positive to the dysfunctional, each person in the later episodes could tie how they see love and marriage to their upbringing. Take this into account for your own life. What behavior patterns are constantly in your family bloodlines? What cycles (good and bad) have you witnessed growing up and have they hindered or helped your outlook on marriage and family? This takeaway was a reminder for us to consider our own relationship triggers and have empathy for these brave souls who risked being vulnerable on TV for love.

Lastly, this quote from Kelly in the last episode resonated with me:

“Making the right decision for you is the right decision for everybody.”

This is a reminder to not settle for less than what you deserve or what feels right. That’s why marriage is to be taken seriously, because it involves the lives of others and makes an impact on the next generation. I pray that our decisions in public and private reflect God’s will for us in dating and marriage.

What were some takeaways and love lessons that you picked up from watching Love is Blind? Share below!