Photo: Vera Arsic

What makes you fall in love?

According to Hani Henry, chair and associate professor of psychology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Egyptology at AUC, Robert Sternberg's psychological theory covers the most common reasons why we fall in love, namely: intimacy, passion and commitment.

aucegypt.edu - Top Three Reasons Why We Fall in Love

How does a guy act when he is in love?

When he's falling in love, everything is likely to become about her. He can't stop thinking about her and would rather be spending time with her...

Last updated Oct 14, 2021

Is cuddling important to guys?

Even if there aren't any real dangers, guys perceive cuddling as a way to protect you. In addition, they also know it makes you feel loved, so when...

Last updated Feb 26, 2020

Promotion

"Love makes the world go 'round," but exactly why do we fall in love?

According to Hani Henry, chair and associate professor of psychology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Egyptology at AUC, Robert Sternberg’s psychological theory covers the most common reasons why we fall in love, namely: intimacy, passion and commitment.

Intimacy

Falling in love for intimate reasons can be described as having a basic friendship; it lacks commitment and passion. “Besides developing a close connection with someone, a lot of people seek intimacy for self-enhancement; it doesn’t necessarily have to be for sex,” said Henry. “Sometimes it’s self-serving. Everyone likes to feel cared for and loved. Women want to feel their femininity, and men want to feel their masculinity.” Adele’s song Hello is a perfect example of how intimacy is captured. In the song's chorus, Adele contacts her ex-boyfriend and pours out her heartbreak from the relationship. She explains that many years have passed and she hasn't done much healing. “Her lyrics are magical and speak for a lot of people who want to have an emotional connection with anyone or a short-term relationship,” he said.

Passion

Letting ourselves fall in love because of desire or strong feelings for a person is normal. Passionate love is developed as a result of feelings that lead to sexual attraction, physical interest and romance. “When you see someone you like, you are captivated by something that draws you to that person,” explained Henry. “The attraction is physical, and there is a fascination with the hair, eyes and body.” In the absence of intimacy and commitment, infatuation is developed with the person you love. “People are drawn and quickly develop lust. Some people are obsessed and see that person as a type of object. You can be with someone for years and don’t feel there is commonality between you and that person,” he said.

Commitment

Commitment is complete love. “People who seek commitment want stability and a healthy relationship,” he said. “If people only seek commitment, they may lack sexual attraction and basic friendship interests.” According to Henry, in modern times, young adults are interested in objects more than relationships. “The objectification comes from consumerism,” he explained. “The more consumeristic the culture becomes, the less interest people have in commitments. Some youth are more interested in impressing people they don’t care about. So everything needs to be consumed, even relationships with people.”

Love Outside the Triangular Theory

Although it’s common that anyone can relate to Sternberg’s love theory, we all have our personal reasons for falling in love. “Your reason for falling in love doesn’t necessarily need to be explained by science. Some personal needs can be the fear of being alone, social peer pressure, satisfaction or religious values,” Henry said. Despite what psychology has to say about love, the type of love we choose defines who we are. We have our own way of understanding what makes us happy and fulfills our human needs. “Some people are caught with a need that meets each dimension of the triangle and they can’t give up on two because of the different needs they get. Love is very complex.”

How do you know if you've met the one?

10 Signs That You Might Have Met 'The One' You're Going To Spend The Rest Of Your Life With They Feel Like Home. ... You Knew Them Before You Met...

Last updated Jun 4, 2022

What are the true signs of true love?

You can usually recognize real love by these 12 signs. You feel safe with them. ... They listen. ... They acknowledge your differences instead of...

Last updated Mar 20, 2021

Promotion

What is a hot question?

houstonisd.org - Professional Development / HOT Question - Houston ISD

An easy way to motivate students and encourage engagement is to capture their attention by posting a HOT (High Order Thinking) Question for the class to discuss. HOT questions require students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information instead of simply recalling facts. Teachers can use a HOT question as a focus for the unit and engage students in multiple activities that will help them answer effectively. One question can be the driving force of multiple activities throughout the course of many days or weeks. Create a question that will get students engaged with the lesson after the main objective has been selected. Post the question at the beginning of your lesson/unit, and let students know they will need an answer to it by the end of the lesson/unit. This HOT question will be the focus of the lesson/unit. Require students to complete a performance task that demonstrates their understanding of the lesson content and that answers the HOT question. Examples of performance tasks include (but are not limited to): Writing an essay in response to the question Designing a project that highlights the key goals of the lesson Developing a model that represents the solution Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis Creating an advance organizer

What height does a girl prefer?

As part of the Girl Power Girl Strong's survey on height preferences in male partners, 76% agreed that they felt most comfortable in a relationship...

Last updated Nov 4, 2021

What two signs are more compatible?

The most compatible zodiac sun signs: Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) often vibe best with other Earth and Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio,...

Last updated Jul 14, 2019

Promotion

What makes a man leave a girl?

Toxic relationships, being used, feeling emotionally spent, or meeting someone new could also contribute to what makes a man leave his wife. A wife...

Last updated Feb 25, 2018

Promotion

What makes a person love you?

Key points. Romantic love occurs due to a combination of general attraction and social factors. When another person is attracted to you or likes...

Last updated Apr 30, 2020