Relationships can be difficult to begin with, so what happens when the person you love is hundreds or thousands of miles away? Although it may seem as though there is no easy way to be in a long-distance relationship (LDR), if both partners value the connection and want to make it work, it is entirely…
Category: Love
Building Trust
Trust can be defined as relying on the integrity, word, and promise of another individual.1 Most people would agree that trust is a vital part of a relationship. Those in romantic relationships may have noticed that trust does not always come naturally in relationships and often takes a lot of work to develop. A person must…
The Mathematics of Love
Although human emotion is not rational, predictable, or easily quantifiable, love, like most life experiences is characterized by patterns: “from the number of sexual partners we have in our lifetime to how we message on an internet dating website. These patterns twist and turn and warp and evolve just as love does, and are all…
Staying in Love
Falling in love is a natural human phenomenon. People do not typically have to actively exert conscious effort to become attracted to someone and fall in love with them. Thanks to our biology, we are pre-programmed to desire close-knit relationships. For most people, this desire is fulfilled by forming intimate relationships with other human beings….
The Neurobiology of Romantic Love
Romantic love is one of the most universal human experiences. More than 20 years ago, biological anthropologist Helen Fisher studied 166 societies and found evidence of romantic love in 147 of them.1 According to Richard Schwartz, associate professor of psychiatry at MacLean Hospital, romantic love must be wired into our basic biological nature due to…
Polyamory
Polyamory (“poly” meaning many, and “amory” meaning “love” or “lovers”) is the practice of being open to multiple sexual or emotional relationships at once. There is a common misconception that polyamory is mainly about promiscuity.1 However, many polyamorous people engage in long-term relationships with multiple partners in which they are emotionally invested.2 Polyamory not cheating,…
Falling In Love
Love and being in love are among the purest of human emotions. To love someone unconditionally is an indescribable experience. Love is often described as infinite, beautiful, wonderful, positive, or amazing. There are many different ways to love another person; it does not always have to be in the romantic sense. For example, there is…
Cheating and Jealousy
Jealousy is defined as an unpleasant emotion that arises when another person encroaches on something someone feels is their own, and can be particularly frustrating and difficult to talk about. While it is generally associated with romantically involved partnerships, jealousy can spring up in any type of relationship and cause conflict and emotional distress. If…