Interesting Facts about Love

Love is pure, love is 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 didnt exist. Love is something we strive for and something we mourn
the loss of.
A lovesick panda once said that if youre never been hurt, youre 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 and physiological processes
that make us fall for someone And as soon as we think theres 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.

1. Monogamous Relationships Exist

Throughout The Animal Kingdom

Even though we often think of ourselves as a faithful species, were not the only one in
the animal kingdom. Wolves, swans, gibbons, black vultures, albatrosses and even termites
are just a few of those animals that find a mate for a lifetime.

2. It only takes up to 4 minutes to decide

whether you like someone or not

If you want to make a good impression on someone, youve only got about 4 minutes
to do it. It is believed 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

Some extraordinary research 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: Jeremiah Kuehne

Falling in love is much like taking a dose of cocaine, as both experiences affect the
brain similarly and trigger a similar sensation of euphoria. Research found that falling
in love produces several euphoria-inducing chemicals that stimulate 12 areas of the
brain at the same time.

6. Even Looking At A Picture Of A

Loved One Relieves The Pain

Image credits: Benoit Courti

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 experiment 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.

5. Cuddling
Painkillers

Releases

Natural

Image credits: Sara K Byrne

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. Research has found that a dose of oxytocin
decreases headaches significantly, and for some it even makes the pain go away
completely after 4 hours. Its definitely worth trying hug and cuddle medicine before
jumping to chemicals and pills.

7. People At The Same Level Of Attractiveness Are More

Likely To End Up Together

Image credits: Rehahn Photography

Many psychological and social research indicates that there is a significant pattern in
how people choose people to establish romantic relationships with. This pattern is
explained by the Matching Hypothesis, 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: kashia

As the well-known saying goes, opposites attract. And research 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.

9. Heartbreak
Metaphor

Is

Not

Just

Image credits: Rob Woodcox

Research has provided evidence those intense, traumatizing events, such as a
break-up, divorce, loss of a loved one, physical separation from a loved one, or

betrayal can cause real physical pains in the area of ones heart. This condition is
called the Broken Heart Syndrome. Deep emotional distress triggers the brain to
distribute certain chemicals that significantly weaken ones 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 EndsOnly To

Be Followed By Committed Love
Couples at the very beginning of a romantic relationship will be very different a year
later. It is estimated 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
Studies 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 ObsessiveCompulsive 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 video that explains the theory

12. Thinking Of Love And Sex Influences

Creativity
And
Concrete
Thinking,
Respectively
Research based on the construal level theory 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
The triangular theory of love 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

Theres evidence 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 Ones Hand Relieves Pain

And Stress
Research 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

Without much talking, were suggesting you to see the beautiful experiment in
this video.

17. Butterflies In The Stomach Are Real And Theyre Actually Caused by
Adrenaline

When you fall for someone you probably wont be able to avoid the butterflies flying,
dancing and fooling around in your stomach. Theyre caused by adrenaline, which
floods your body during flight-or-fight response situations.

18. Dilated Pupils Show Your Attraction

Someone And Makes You More Attractive

To

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 its only a picture or a video. Moreover, people with
dilated pupils themselves look more attractive. (info)

19. Looking Into Each Others

Eyes Can Make Strangers Fall In
Love
The eyes are the mirrors of our souls, as they say, so theres probably no surprise
that simply looking into each others eyes can make us fall for each other, even if we
dont know jack about each other. It has been proven that when someone is gazing
at you, the persons body produces a chemical called phenylethylamine, which is
associated with the fight-or-flightresponse. So if you decide to continue looking at
each other, youre asking for Cupids arrow. (info)

20. Love
Matters

Is

Really

All

That

A marvelous 75-year long study, 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.