<ol><li>It only takes up to 4 minutes to decide whether you like someone or not</li><li>When Two Lovers Gaze At Each Others’ Eyes, Their Heart Rates Synchronize</li><li>Falling In Love Has Neurological Effects Similar To Those Of Cocaine</li><li>Cuddling Releases Natural Painkillers</li><li>Even Looking At A Picture Of A Loved One Relieves The Pain</li><li>Couples Who Are Too Similar To Each Other Are not Likely To Last</li><li>Romantic Love Eventually Ends.Only To Be Followed By Committed Love</li><li>Holding A Loved One’s Hand Relieves Pain And Stress</li></ol>

Attachment + Caring + Intimacy = Perfect Love❤️

Love & Relationships

723Kviews <img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/portrait1__30.jpg" width="35" height="35"><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/author/yabadada" title="Posts by Audra" dir="ltr">Audra</a> Community member </div>Love is pure, <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/love-is-illustrations-korea-puuung/" title="love is" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">love is</a> painful, love is sweet, and love is dreadful. True love is overwhelming. Our lives depend on it and it often seems like our planet would stop spinning if love didn’t exist. Endless love is something we strive for and something we mourn the loss of.A lovesick <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/adorable-cute-raccoons/" title="panda" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">panda</a> once said this <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/everyday-love-comics-illustrations-philippa-rice-soppy/" title="love" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">love</a> quote “if you’ve never been hurt, you’re either very lucky or very lonely.”We understand the poetry of the heart, but over the courses of our lives, we tend to demystify this precious feeling more and more. We learn about biological processes that cause specific reactions; we learn about cultural influences on how we behave and think about love; we learn about the psychological facts about love and physiological processes that get us falling in love for someone.And as soon as we think there’s no more place for romance in a world explained by science, we fall in love, or simply look into the eyes of our beloved, and all of that knowledge is pushed to the back of our minds. In the end, the feeling itself is what matters most.Let us present you with some interesting theories and love facts that will explain much about this all-absorbing phenomenon without dispelling its romance and poetry.Even though we often think of ourselves as a faithful species, we’re not the only one in the <a href="http://www.curiosityaroused.com/nature/10-monogamous-animals-that-mate-for-life/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">animal kingdom</a>. Wolves, swans, gibbons, black vultures, albatrosses and even termites are just a few of those animals that find a mate for a lifetime.If you want to make a good impression on someone, you’ve only got about 4 minutes to do it. It is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/flirting.shtml" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">believed</a>&nbsp;that it has far more to do with your body language, tone and speed of your voice rather than exactly what you say.<h2>3. When Two Lovers Gaze At Each Others’ Eyes, Their Heart Rates Synchronize</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-5.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="917">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/11203695" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Alexander Khokhlov</a>Some extraordinary&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/labcoat-life/lovers_hearts_beat_at_the" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">research</a>&nbsp;has found that couples who are in love and bond in a romantic relationship synchronize their heart rates after gazing into each others’ eyes for three minutes.<h2>4. Falling In Love&nbsp;Has Neurological Effects Similar To Those Of Cocaine</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-3.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="408">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/25634799" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Jeremiah Kuehne</a>Falling in <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/love-is-illustrations-puuung/" title="love is" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">love is</a> much like taking a dose of cocaine, as both experiences affect the brain similarly and trigger a similar sensation of euphoria.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205973.php" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Research</a>&nbsp;found that falling in love produces several euphoria-inducing chemicals that stimulate 12 areas of the brain at the same time.Oxytocin, the so-called love or cuddle hormone, is produced during an embrace or cuddle. The hormone appears in the brain, ovaries and testicles and is thought to be involved in the bonding process.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.livescience.com/9159-love-hormone-treat-daily-headaches.html" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Research</a>&nbsp;has found that a dose of oxytocin decreases headaches significantly, and for some it even makes the pain go away completely after 4 hours. It’s definitely worth trying hug and cuddle medicine before jumping to chemicals and pills.<h2>6. Even Looking At A Picture Of A Loved One Relieves The Pain</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-12.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="612">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/7611055" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Benoit Courti</a>Even though it was long known that the presence of a significant other has a lot to do with patients’ improvement, it has been proved&nbsp;that the same goes for even a picture of the beloved. The&nbsp;<a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/love-and-pain-relief/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">experiment</a>&nbsp;showed that when experiencing pain, study participants exposed to pictures of their beloved and to distracting word games had their pain reduced far more than those exposed to the same distracting word games and pictures of acquaintances.<h2>7. People At The Same Level Of Attractiveness Are More Likely To End Up Together</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-221.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-22" width="612" height="402">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/42518448" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Rehahn Photography</a>Many psychological and <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/powerful-social-advertisements/" title="social" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">social</a> research indicates that there is a significant pattern in how people choose people to establish romantic relationships with. This pattern is explained by the <a href="http://www.academia.edu/1412396/_Out_of_My_League_A_Real-World_Test_of_the_Matching_Hypothesis" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Matching Hypothesis</a>, which says that people are more attracted to those that they share a level of attractiveness with, or, in other words, are equally socially desirable. Even if successful couples differ in physical attractiveness, one of them usually compensates for it with other socially desirable qualities.<h2>8. Couples Who Are Too Similar To Each Other Are not Likely To Last</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-103.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-103" width="612" height="408">Image credits: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kashia/95947952/sizes/o/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">kashia</a>As the well-known saying goes, opposites attract. And&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279003/Opposites-DO-attract-Psychologists-say-couples-similar-likely-last.html" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">research</a>&nbsp;proves that this is partially true. Couples that are either too similar or too different tend not to last very long. Apparently, there always has to be a foundation of similarities, but there also have to be things that the two of you learn from each other.<h2>9. Heartbreak Is Not Just A Metaphor</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-106.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-106" width="612" height="412">Image credits: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawjrphotography/5141464197/sizes/l/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Rob Woodcox</a>Research has provided evidence that intense, traumatizing events, such as a break-up, <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/bull-terrier-jimmy-choo-illustrations-rafael-mantesso/" title="divorce" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">divorce</a>, loss of a loved one, physical separation from a loved one, or betrayal can cause real physical pains in the area of one’s heart. This condition is called the <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Cardiomyopathy/Is-Broken-Heart-Syndrome-Real_UCM_448547_Article.jsp" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Broken Heart Syndrome</a>. Deep emotional distress triggers the brain to distribute certain chemicals that significantly weaken one’s heart, leading to strong chest pains and shortness of breath. The condition is often misdiagnosed as heart attack and tends to affect women more often.<h2>10. Romantic Love Eventually Ends…Only To Be Followed By Committed Love</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-9.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="477">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/32465751" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Rehahn Photography</a>Couples at the very beginning of a romantic relationship will be very different a year later. It is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4478040.stm" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">estimated</a>&nbsp;that romantic love, which is linked with euphoria, dependence, sweaty palms, butterflies and alike, only lasts about a year. After that first year begins the so-called “committed&nbsp;love” stage. The transition is linked with elevated neurotrophin protein levels in newly formed couples.<h2>11. People Who Are In Love Have Chemical Similarities With People With OCD</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-17.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="473">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/5229010" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Enzo Perrazziello</a><a href="http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Hoegler.html" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Studies</a> show that people at an early stage of love have lower levels of serotonin, which is associated with feelings of happiness and well-being, and higher levels of cortisol, associated with stress. This is strikingly similar to those people who have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which explains why we act so out of character when we fall for someone. &nbsp;It works the other way around as well – people with lower levels of serotonin fall in love and get into sexual relationships quicker than others. Check out this&nbsp;vivacious&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AN_07N6ls8" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">video</a>&nbsp;that explains the theory.<h2>12. Thinking Of Love And Sex Influences Creativity And Concrete Thinking, Respectively</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-211.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-21" width="612" height="459">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/Omalix" rel="nofollow" dir="ltr">Omalix Martinez</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690153" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Research</a> based on the <a href="http://www.psych.nyu.edu/trope/Trope_Liberman_2010.pdf" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">construal level theory</a> found out that reminders of love influence more abstract and creative thinking because they are associated with more distant and abstract considerations – long-term relationships, devotion, commitment and intimacy. Reminders of sex trigger concrete thinking, making a person focus more on momentary details than on long-term plans or goals.<h2>13. Attachment + Caring + Intimacy = Perfect Love</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-104.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-104" width="612" height="475">Image credits: <a href="http://500px.com/photo/169281" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Nikolai Zinoviev </a><a href="http://psychdigest.com/what-type-of-love-do-you-have-with-your-partner/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The triangular theory of love</a>&nbsp;suggest a clear formula for the components of different kinds of love. There are three kinds of love that are a product of two different pairs of basic components: romantic love = passion + intimacy, companionate love = intimacy + commitment, and fatuous love = passion + commitment. Of course, the truest and strongest of all is consummate love, which consists of all three components.<h2>14. An Attractive Face Is Preferred Over An Attractive Body For Long-Term Relationships</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-14.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="733">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/55595856" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Thorbjørn Fessel</a>There’s <a href="http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=544&amp;cookieConsent=A" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">evidence</a> that when looking for a fling, the body wins over the face on a physical attraction basis. The opposite is true, however, for those who are looking for a long-term relationship partner.<h2>15. Holding A Loved One’s Hand Relieves Pain And Stress</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-19.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="408">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/60368916" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Ricardo Miranda</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/health/psychology/31marr.html?_r=0" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Research</a> shows that long-term couples with deep, strong connections can successfully soothe each other in stressful situations or when one of them experiences pain simply by holding hands.<h2>16. Expressing Gratitude Towards People You Love Causes An Immediate Spike In Your Happiness</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-16.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="408">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://500px.com/photo/2209051" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Balaji Maheshwar</a>Without much talking, we’re suggesting you to see the beautiful experiment in this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHv6vTKD6lg" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">video</a>.<h2>17. Butterflies In The Stomach Are Real And They’re Actually Caused by Adrenaline</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-18.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="467">Image credits:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackwannemacher/7185403155/sizes/h/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Jack Wannemacher</a>When you fall for someone you probably won’t be able to avoid the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/09/AR2010050902953.html" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">butterflies</a> flying, dancing and fooling around in your stomach. They’re caused by adrenaline, which floods your body during flight-or-fight response situations.<h2>18. Dilated Pupils Show Your Attraction To Someone And Makes You More Attractive</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-105.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-105" width="612" height="611">Image credits: <a href="http://www.boredpanda.org/girl-cat-friendship-andy-prokh/%20" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Andy Prokh</a>As early as the 1870s, Darwin proposed that pupils expand during heightened attention and focus. This is indeed true, as this occurs when gazing at an object of desire or beloved one, even if it‘s only a picture or a video. Moreover, people with dilated pupils themselves look more attractive. (<a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-biology/love-make-pupils-dilate.htm" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">info</a>)The eyes are the mirrors of our souls, as they say, so there’s probably no surprise that simply looking into each others’ eyes can make us fall for each other, even if we don’t know jack about each other. It has been <a href="http://psychologia.co/the-power-of-eye-contact/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">proven</a>&nbsp;that when someone is gazing at you, the person’s body produces a chemical called&nbsp;phenylethylamine, which is associated with the fight-or-flight response. So if you decide to continue looking at each other, you’re asking for Cupid’s arrow. (<a href="http://psychologia.co/the-power-of-eye-contact/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">info</a>)<h2 dir="ltr">20. Love Is Really All That Matters</h2><img src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/interesting-facts-about-love-107.jpg" alt="interesting-facts-about-love-107" width="612" height="408">Image credits: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vancouver_riot_kissing_couple.jpg" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">wikipedia</a>A&nbsp;marvelous&nbsp;75-year long&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/11/how-this-harvard-psycholo_n_3727229.html?utm_hp_ref=third-metric" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">study</a>, which was conducted by a group of Harvard researchers, has shown that love is really all that matters. The participants’ lifelong experiences revealed that happiness and life fulfillment revolved around love or simply searching for love. Follow Bored Panda on <a data-name="Google News" href="https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMIrPkQswrMOmAw" dir="ltr">Google News!</a> <div data-points="47"> 47 </div><img alt="" title="" src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/portrait1.jpg" width="100" height="100">

Love is pure, love is sweet, and true love is often overwhelming. To understand it better, we've gathered some interesting facts and theories about love!

Love 

723Kviews

Love is pure, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/love-is-illustrations-korea-puuung/" rel="noopener" title="love is">love is </a>painful, love is sweet, and love is dreadful. True love is overwhelming. Our lives depend on it and it often seems like our planet would stop spinning if love didn’t exist. Endless love is something we strive for and something we mourn the loss of.

A lovesick <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/adorable-cute-raccoons/" rel="noopener" title="panda">panda </a>once said this <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/everyday-love-comics-illustrations-philippa-rice-soppy/" rel="noopener" title="love">love </a>quote “if you’ve never been hurt, you’re either very lucky or very lonely.”

We understand the poetry of the heart, but over the courses of our lives, we tend to demystify this precious feeling more and more. We learn about biological processes that cause specific reactions; we learn about cultural influences on how we behave and think about love; we learn about the psychological facts about love and physiological processes that get us falling in love for someone.

And as soon as we think there’s no more place for romance in a world explained by science, we fall in love, or simply look into the eyes of our beloved, and all of that knowledge is pushed to the back of our minds. In the end, the feeling itself is what matters most.

Let us present you with some interesting theories and love facts that will explain much about this all-absorbing phenomenon without dispelling its romance and poetry.

Even though we often think of ourselves as a faithful species, we’re not the only one in the <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.curiosityaroused.com/nature/10-monogamous-animals-that-mate-for-life/" rel="noopener nofollow">animal kingdom </a>. Wolves, swans, gibbons, black vultures, albatrosses and even termites are just a few of those animals that find a mate for a lifetime.

If you want to make a good impression on someone, you’ve only got about 4 minutes to do it. It is <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/flirting.shtml" rel="noopener nofollow">believed </a> that it has far more to do with your body language, tone and speed of your voice rather than exactly what you say.

3. When Two Lovers Gaze At Each Others’ Eyes, Their Heart Rates Synchronize

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/11203695" rel="noopener nofollow">Alexander Khokhlov </a>

Some extraordinary <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/labcoat-life/lovers_hearts_beat_at_the" rel="noopener nofollow">research </a> has found that couples who are in love and bond in a romantic relationship synchronize their heart rates after gazing into each others’ eyes for three minutes.

4. Falling In Love Has Neurological Effects Similar To Those Of Cocaine

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/25634799" rel="noopener nofollow">Jeremiah Kuehne </a>

Falling in <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/love-is-illustrations-puuung/" rel="noopener" title="love is">love is </a>much like taking a dose of cocaine, as both experiences affect the brain similarly and trigger a similar sensation of euphoria. <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205973.php" rel="noopener nofollow">Research </a> found that falling in love produces several euphoria-inducing chemicals that stimulate 12 areas of the brain at the same time.

Oxytocin, the so-called love or cuddle hormone, is produced during an embrace or cuddle. The hormone appears in the brain, ovaries and testicles and is thought to be involved in the bonding process. <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.livescience.com/9159-love-hormone-treat-daily-headaches.html" rel="noopener nofollow">Research </a> has found that a dose of oxytocin decreases headaches significantly, and for some it even makes the pain go away completely after 4 hours. It’s definitely worth trying hug and cuddle medicine before jumping to chemicals and pills.

6. Even Looking At A Picture Of A Loved One Relieves The Pain

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/7611055" rel="noopener nofollow">Benoit Courti </a>

Even though it was long known that the presence of a significant other has a lot to do with patients’ improvement, it has been proved that the same goes for even a picture of the beloved. The <a dir="ltr" href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/love-and-pain-relief/" rel="noopener nofollow">experiment </a> showed that when experiencing pain, study participants exposed to pictures of their beloved and to distracting word games had their pain reduced far more than those exposed to the same distracting word games and pictures of acquaintances.

7. People At The Same Level Of Attractiveness Are More Likely To End Up Together

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/42518448" rel="noopener nofollow">Rehahn Photography </a>

Many psychological and <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/powerful-social-advertisements/" rel="noopener" title="social">social </a>research indicates that there is a significant pattern in how people choose people to establish romantic relationships with. This pattern is explained by the <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.academia.edu/1412396/_Out_of_My_League_A_Real-World_Test_of_the_Matching_Hypothesis" rel="noopener nofollow">Matching Hypothesis </a>, which says that people are more attracted to those that they share a level of attractiveness with, or, in other words, are equally socially desirable. Even if successful couples differ in physical attractiveness, one of them usually compensates for it with other socially desirable qualities.

8. Couples Who Are Too Similar To Each Other Are not Likely To Last

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kashia/95947952/sizes/o/" rel="noopener nofollow">kashia </a>

As the well-known saying goes, opposites attract. And <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279003/Opposites-DO-attract-Psychologists-say-couples-similar-likely-last.html" rel="noopener nofollow">research </a> proves that this is partially true. Couples that are either too similar or too different tend not to last very long. Apparently, there always has to be a foundation of similarities, but there also have to be things that the two of you learn from each other.

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawjrphotography/5141464197/sizes/l/" rel="noopener nofollow">Rob Woodcox </a>

Research has provided evidence that intense, traumatizing events, such as a break-up, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.boredpanda.com/bull-terrier-jimmy-choo-illustrations-rafael-mantesso/" rel="noopener" title="divorce">divorce </a>, loss of a loved one, physical separation from a loved one, or betrayal can cause real physical pains in the area of one’s heart. This condition is called the <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Cardiomyopathy/Is-Broken-Heart-Syndrome-Real_UCM_448547_Article.jsp" rel="noopener nofollow">Broken Heart Syndrome </a>. Deep emotional distress triggers the brain to distribute certain chemicals that significantly weaken one’s heart, leading to strong chest pains and shortness of breath. The condition is often misdiagnosed as heart attack and tends to affect women more often.

10. Romantic Love Eventually Ends…Only To Be Followed By Committed Love

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/32465751" rel="noopener nofollow">Rehahn Photography </a>

Couples at the very beginning of a romantic relationship will be very different a year later. It is <a dir="ltr" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4478040.stm" rel="noopener nofollow">estimated </a> that romantic love, which is linked with euphoria, dependence, sweaty palms, butterflies and alike, only lasts about a year. After that first year begins the so-called “committed love” stage. The transition is linked with elevated neurotrophin protein levels in newly formed couples.

11. People Who Are In Love Have Chemical Similarities With People With OCD

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/5229010" rel="noopener nofollow">Enzo Perrazziello </a>

<a dir="ltr" href="http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Hoegler.html" rel="noopener nofollow">Studies </a>show that people at an early stage of love have lower levels of serotonin, which is associated with feelings of happiness and well-being, and higher levels of cortisol, associated with stress. This is strikingly similar to those people who have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which explains why we act so out of character when we fall for someone.  It works the other way around as well – people with lower levels of serotonin fall in love and get into sexual relationships quicker than others. Check out this vivacious <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AN_07N6ls8" rel="noopener nofollow">video </a> that explains the theory.

12. Thinking Of Love And Sex Influences Creativity And Concrete Thinking, Respectively

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/Omalix" rel="nofollow">Omalix Martinez </a>

<a dir="ltr" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690153" rel="noopener nofollow">Research </a>based on the <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.psych.nyu.edu/trope/Trope_Liberman_2010.pdf" rel="noopener nofollow">construal level theory </a>found out that reminders of love influence more abstract and creative thinking because they are associated with more distant and abstract considerations – long-term relationships, devotion, commitment and intimacy. Reminders of sex trigger concrete thinking, making a person focus more on momentary details than on long-term plans or goals.

13. Attachment + Caring + Intimacy = Perfect Love

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/169281" rel="noopener nofollow">Nikolai Zinoviev </a>

<a dir="ltr" href="http://psychdigest.com/what-type-of-love-do-you-have-with-your-partner/" rel="noopener nofollow">The triangular theory of love </a> suggest a clear formula for the components of different kinds of love. There are three kinds of love that are a product of two different pairs of basic components: romantic love = passion + intimacy, companionate love = intimacy + commitment, and fatuous love = passion + commitment. Of course, the truest and strongest of all is consummate love, which consists of all three components.

14. An Attractive Face Is Preferred Over An Attractive Body For Long-Term Relationships

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/55595856" rel="noopener nofollow">Thorbjørn Fessel </a>

There’s <a dir="ltr" href="http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=544&amp;cookieConsent=A" rel="noopener nofollow">evidence </a>that when looking for a fling, the body wins over the face on a physical attraction basis. The opposite is true, however, for those who are looking for a long-term relationship partner.

15. Holding A Loved One’s Hand Relieves Pain And Stress

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/60368916" rel="noopener nofollow">Ricardo Miranda </a>

<a dir="ltr" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/health/psychology/31marr.html?_r=0" rel="noopener nofollow">Research </a>shows that long-term couples with deep, strong connections can successfully soothe each other in stressful situations or when one of them experiences pain simply by holding hands.

16. Expressing Gratitude Towards People You Love Causes An Immediate Spike In Your Happiness

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://500px.com/photo/2209051" rel="noopener nofollow">Balaji Maheshwar </a>

Without much talking, we’re suggesting you to see the beautiful experiment in this <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHv6vTKD6lg" rel="noopener nofollow">video </a>.

17. Butterflies In The Stomach Are Real And They’re Actually Caused by Adrenaline

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackwannemacher/7185403155/sizes/h/" rel="noopener nofollow">Jack Wannemacher </a>

When you fall for someone you probably won’t be able to avoid the <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/09/AR2010050902953.html" rel="noopener nofollow">butterflies </a>flying, dancing and fooling around in your stomach. They’re caused by adrenaline, which floods your body during flight-or-fight response situations.

18. Dilated Pupils Show Your Attraction To Someone And Makes You More Attractive

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.boredpanda.org/girl-cat-friendship-andy-prokh/%20" rel="noopener nofollow">Andy Prokh </a>

As early as the 1870s, Darwin proposed that pupils expand during heightened attention and focus. This is indeed true, as this occurs when gazing at an object of desire or beloved one, even if it‘s only a picture or a video. Moreover, people with dilated pupils themselves look more attractive. (<a dir="ltr" href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-biology/love-make-pupils-dilate.htm" rel="noopener nofollow">info </a>)

The eyes are the mirrors of our souls, as they say, so there’s probably no surprise that simply looking into each others’ eyes can make us fall for each other, even if we don’t know jack about each other. It has been <a dir="ltr" href="http://psychologia.co/the-power-of-eye-contact/" rel="noopener nofollow">proven </a> that when someone is gazing at you, the person’s body produces a chemical called phenylethylamine, which is associated with the fight-or-flight response. So if you decide to continue looking at each other, you’re asking for Cupid’s arrow. (<a dir="ltr" href="http://psychologia.co/the-power-of-eye-contact/" rel="noopener nofollow">info </a>)

Image credits: <a dir="ltr" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vancouver_riot_kissing_couple.jpg" rel="noopener nofollow">wikipedia </a>

A marvelous 75-year long <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/11/how-this-harvard-psycholo_n_3727229.html?utm_hp_ref=third-metric" rel="noopener nofollow">study </a>, which was conducted by a group of Harvard researchers, has shown that love is really all that matters. The participants’ lifelong experiences revealed that happiness and life fulfillment revolved around love or simply searching for love.

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