What is love? What do you consider love? Is love an emotion? Or is it a perception, a belief? One thing is certain, love is something you have to feel with your own heart to understand it truly. And love is the essence of a successful relationship. But it takes much more to succeed in a relationship than just love. Today, we will look at some psychological facts about social relationships.
How do you act in one? What is important for you in the relationship? While love is the most powerful force on Earth, we need much more to enjoy our healthy relationships.
Yes, most of the things we need are part of love. But let’s talk about relationships and how they shape us.
Love And Relationships
Love can come in different forms and shapes. When we say the word love, we usually mean romantic love and romantic relationship. But there is love between friends, love between family members, love for nature, love for animals, and so on.
All humans need and crave love. But they do not all experience it in its true and pure form. Romantic love and romantic relationship is a triangle of intimacy, commitment, and passion. All three are separate aspects, and together, they set the foundation for a successful relationship.
Sexual Attraction
We have to make the distinction between a romantic relationship and a sexual relationship. Or sexual attraction, to be more precise. The sexual attraction is the glue that keeps two people together for a long time. But it is not the only part of the relationship. No relationship can survive without sexual attraction. And no relationship can live only by sexual attraction.
We often mistake sexual attraction and lust for someone with love. But they are different things. Speaking of sexual attraction, we are usually more attracted to people we choose to pursue. And the irony is that we are less attracted to those who pursue us.
For women, it is all about the pitch of their voice. Studies show that women with high voices attract men. And on the opposite side, men with low voices attract more women.
With that in mind, let’s continue with some psychological facts about relationships.
The Psychology Of It All
When you talk about relationships psychology, you need to look at the bigger picture. Often, people talk only about the biology of sexual attraction and theories on love. But psychology is much more. Sexual attraction and love theories explain only a tiny corner of the relationship.
Fun psychology fact, when we fall in love, our minds change. And when we lose someone we love, we experience the lowest point in our life because of the emotional pain.
Here are some more tangible interesting psychology facts about love.
Cuddling Releases Happy Hormones
There is a reason women love cuddling after sexual intercourse. While sex produces dopamine, cuddling helps our body release oxytocin. And the latter is the so-called “happy hormone”.
This chemical helps us relieve stress and promotes a feeling of happiness. The more you cuddle, the more oxytocin your body releases.
Just Seeing A Picture Can Reduce Stress
Back in the day, people carried pictures of their loved ones in their wallets. Nowadays, half of the people do not even carry a wallet. The digital world has changed everything. But we still have pictures of the ones we love on our smartphones.
One cool psychology fact says that simply seeing a picture of the one you love can reduce stress levels. If you feel sick, it will help you heal faster.
Our Brain Releases Hormones After Seeing Our Loved One
Speaking of seeing our loved ones, while pictures release stress, things go into overdrive when we see them. Just a second after looking at the one we love, our brain and mind release chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine.
These two combine to provide a sense of intense happiness. That is the reason we look happy when we see our romantic partners.
Talk About Intimate Feelings
We live in an era when people have long-distance relationships. And they are hard to maintain. According to psychology, one way to maintain a long-distance relationship is to talk about intimate feelings and thoughts more often.
When partners have an idealized view of their significant one, the relationship has a better chance of working out.
Work On Yourself
Here is an important psychological aspect. Work on yourself. Work toward self-actualization and self-fulfillment. These two aspects are very important if you want the love to last longer.
Ignoring Someone Makes You Fall For Him/Her
You cannot ignore feelings. And here is a fun fact for you. The more you ignore someone you love, the more you will fall for him/her.
Instead, you should try and confess your feelings and emotions. If it doesn’t work out, fine. But ignoring the problem will not make it go away.
Say Thank You
How can you be happier in your close relationship? Simply. All you have to do is believe in psychology. And it says that expressing gratitude towards people you love makes you feel happier. It will also increase the overall level of trust in the relationship.
Opposites Do Attract
This is one of the common facts about love and relationships. Opposites do attract and they have a better chance of succeeding. But what does it mean in this case?
Well, loving people of the opposite nature has a better chance of a lasting relationship than loving people of a similar nature.
Time, The Most Important Part Of A Relationship
When you ask people what is the most important part of the relationship, many will say trust. And that is only partly true.
Psychology says time is the most important thing. With time, you can grow trust, friendship, and a bond between the two of you.
Feeling Homesick?
Here is another cool psychology fact. You can feel homesick by missing your romantic partner. If you do not speak with the one you love for more than 48 hours, you can feel homesick.
True Love Can Wait
If you think you missed your chance with your true love, do not despair. Psychology says that passionate love can wait for more than 10 years to get in a relationship. And sometimes, even longer. But it has to be true love.
Holding Hands As Medicine
We talked about cuddling, but here is another underrated aspect of relationships. And how they make you feel better. When you hold hands with someone you love you can alleviate physical pain, stress, and fear.
How Long Does Crush Last?
Science says that crushes last for four months at the most. If the relationship continues after that, it is love and a healthy relationship. But if the crush is the only thing keeping you together, that will last for only four months.
Forgetting People
We said before that losing someone you love can make it feel awful for you. And it might put you at the lowest point in your life. The bad news is that it won’t heal fast.
According to social psychology, it takes 15 months and 27 days to forget someone you loved with all your heart. But if it was not romantic love, it will pass sooner.
Do You Love Him/Her?
Let’s try a little test. Do you really love him? Do you really love her? Notice that we didn’t mention any names. But if you really loved him/her, you instantly thought of that person. Now that is a typical psychological reaction.
