1. When a couple gazes into each other's eyes, their heart rates synchronize.
A Harvard University study found that couples in the throes of new love will synchronize their heart rates after gazing at each other for three minutes. This is what we often refer to as the "feeling of a racing heart."
2. Falling in love feels like taking cocaine.
The level of excitement in the brains of men and women in love is very similar to that after taking cocaine. This is because love produces several excitatory chemicals that can simultaneously stimulate 12 parts of the brain.
3. You can decide whether you like someone in as little as 4 minutes.
If you want someone of the opposite sex to fall in love with you at first sight, you need to make the most of the first four minutes. What matters most is your body language, tone of voice, and speaking speed, not what you actually say.
4. Simply looking at a photo of your loved one can relieve pain.
We've known for a long time that having important people around when someone is sick or in pain is beneficial for recovery. New research has found that photos of loved ones can have the same effect.
5. Couples really do start to look more and more alike as they grow up.
A large-scale study in 1987 found that couples who have been together for 25 years tend to look more and more alike. They showed 110 participants photos of newlyweds and then photos taken 25 years later, judging the degree of facial similarity. The study eliminated all possible confounding factors, such as only showing faces and covering hair and bodies. The results showed that couples who had lived together for 25 years did indeed look increasingly alike. Possible reasons include similar diets, living environments, personality convergence, and the empathic effect of long-term cohabitation.
6. It can release natural pain relievers when hugging.
When you hug your loved one, your body releases oxytocin, a substance found in the brain, ovaries, and testes. This hormone helps relieve pain and stress, playing a role in emotional connection. When you have a headache, a hug from your loved one can be as effective as a painkiller.
7. Couples who are too similar will not last.
The study found that couples who are too different or too similar often do not last. Generally speaking, the two people should have similar backgrounds, but they must also have aspects that they can learn from each other.
8. People who are deeply in love secrete chemicals similar to those of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Studies have shown that people in the early stages of a romantic relationship have lower serotonin levels and higher cortisol levels, which is strikingly similar to that of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This also explains why we do things that are very different from our personalities when we fall in love with someone.
9. All romantic love stories eventually come to an end.
The romantic feelings in a relationship, such as happiness, dependence, and sweaty palms, often end after about a year. Couples then enter the stage of fulfilling their "commitments."
10. People really can be heartbroken.
Cardiologists have found that intense emotional trauma such as breakups, divorces, and betrayal by a partner can indeed cause pain in the heart area. This condition is known as "broken heart syndrome," and it is often misdiagnosed as a heart attack, with a greater impact on women. 11. For long-term relationships, an attractive face is more important than a beautiful body.
Recent research suggests that when seeking short-term relationships, the body is more attractive than the face. However, for those seeking long-term relationships, the opposite is true.
12. Passion + Commitment + Intimacy = Perfect Love
The "Triangular Theory of Love" posits that love has three forms, each composed of different components. Romantic love = passion + intimacy; partnership-based love = intimacy + commitment; and naive love = passion + commitment. Of course, the most perfect love is composed of all three.
13. Kissing is really beneficial.
Research has found that kissing is not only for sexual arousal, but also genuinely helps us choose partners and maintain long-term intimate relationships. Furthermore, both men and women consider kissing a very important indicator of whether they will get along well with a new partner. But kissing is not only crucial for starting a new relationship, but also for maintaining one. Studies have also shown a positive correlation between the frequency of kissing between long-term couples and the quality of their relationship.
14. Monogamy is prevalent in nature.
Loyalty is not only a goal pursued by humans. In the animal kingdom, many species are willing to find a lifelong partner. Wolves, swans, black vultures, albatrosses, and even termites are all keen on monogamy.
As a die-hard rationalist science enthusiast, here's what you need to know!
1. Love molecules really do exist.
Researchers at Syracuse University in the United States recently discovered that when a person is in love, 12 areas of the brain work together to release large amounts of stimulants such as dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline, and vasopressin, giving people a feeling of euphoria—like using cocaine. No wonder some people say that love is toxic.
Dopamine is a frequently mentioned molecule, appearing in studies of Parkinson's disease, addiction, and depression. Some even believe that love is the result of a surge in dopamine in the brain. While such a conclusion is somewhat hasty, it's undeniable that, like nicotine, caffeine, and cocaine, love does indeed increase dopamine levels in the brain.
Endorphins are another star molecule, often called "happy hormones." They're similar to "opium," but produced by our own bodies. Another love hormone, oxytocin, shouldn't be mistaken as only working during childbirth; it also plays a significant role in romantic relationships.
2. How do we fall in love, with our hearts or our brains?
In love, we feel joy and intoxication; towards our lovers, we feel tenderness and affection; after a breakup, we feel heartbroken—why does love, an emotional activity dominated by the brain, involve so many feelings related to the heart?
The physiological explanation is that, in addition to love molecules, the brain also stimulates the production of other substances that affect our bodies. For example, it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, causing our heart to beat faster, blood flow to increase, palms to sweat, and face to flush. People in love also experience an increase in nerve growth factor in their blood; scientists believe this factor plays a crucial role in the development of "love at first sight."
However, we can't exactly tell our girls, "I love you with my brain"—so we still prefer to call them "my beloved girl."
3. The pain of heartbreak
Researchers also found that because the brain produces these substances rapidly, the onset of love may only take a mere 0.2 seconds. Heartbreak, on the other hand, typically requires a much longer period of painful recovery. In this respect, love and drugs are actually quite similar.
