Someone referenced the word Parataxic last evening while in a conversation about a couple who have been married a long time. Seems the husband is going in for back surgery and his wife will not be present since she is spending time helping their daughter's with their grandchildren. I commented I was perplexed with their relationship and that decision. I am certainly not judging them, everyone has to define their own relationship.
  So, I looked up parataxic and found it was a psychological disorder - "a distortion in perception, especially of interpersonal relationships, based on a tendency to perceive others in accordance with a pattern determined by previous experiences."
  Well, that seemed a "fancy" way to say, anything goes! And, rightfully so. We live in a world where everything is subject to personal interpretation, and that is freedom, I suppose. We have been domesticated to interpret everything as defined by societal norms rather then on our human heart! So, what this woman would like to say is throw out the fancy words, psychological interpretations and allow our hearts to define love! 
  A memory came forth from this "musing" this morning. I remembered a conversation with my children about marriage relationships when one looked at me as though to say, "What do you know about that?" (I have been single for 28 years.) I looked at my child and said, "Just because I am divorced doesn't mean I do not know about love." 
  So, this morning I realize that "being in relationship" does not always mean you are "in love." Just as being single does not mean you do not know about love. It seems to me the heart knows about love, that is our "expert" with whom we can seek guidance, and then, perhaps we will not have a parataxic distortion and, instead, have a heart felt connection to another human being. The truth of the matter is because my heart knows love so deeply, it has settled for nothing less. 
   Please share your perspective!