Depending on your location, love can be as mundane as air, or as all-consuming as obsession. Love is the motivation behind all great stories, whether they be romantic, parent-child, family-based, or country-wide. And while it’s possible to find love in any situation, there are obstacles that can get in the way of that love. These obstacles can be anything from physical and emotional distance to the tiniest bit of resistance.
Relationships evolve
Despite our societal conditioning, our love lives continue to change. For one thing, we’ve become more aware of our shadows. As humans, we are prone to romanticizing our partners’ shadows. But, as Andrew Harvey points out, our love lives don’t have to be perfect. We can learn to accept and respect our partner’s shadows and be a safe haven for their wounded hearts.
Changes
Studies of the brain and relationships focus on how people react to stimuli involving their romantic partner. These studies recruit participants who self-identify as in love and assess their emotional reactivity to these stimuli. These studies also measure changes in brain activity in couples and compare them. It is believed that the way people react to stimuli relating to their love partner is related to how well they understand and feel about their partner. If you’re looking to improve your love life, there are several options available.
Commitment
While you may be feeling physical attraction to the person you’re seeing, committed love is a different thing. A commitment means that you’re committed to each other for now and the future. Understanding committed love will help you differentiate between a relationship and a fling. Here’s a list of signs that your relationship is headed toward a committed state. You may be tempted to rush into things if the other person seems too good to be true.
Intimacy
When we fall in love, there is an inherent need to be intimate. As lovers, we are drawn to one another and our reactions are dictated by our emotions. We are vulnerable and feel safe to express our emotions and thoughts. Intimacy in love begins in childhood. We develop this relationship based on our tastes, preferences and attraction. And we can also develop intimacy through intellectual discussions. Ultimately, our desires are shaped by our partners.
Value
There are two major views of the Value of love. One is the bestowal view, which emphasizes the creative and evaluative nature of love. The other view emphasizes that love is not a response to an antecedent value. However, both views share some important distinctions. In general, appraisal-based accounts of love miss the essential point. A bestowal view of love is more plausible. It considers love as a subjective and evaluative process.
Need-love
Lewis identified three elements of love. One of them, Need-love, is the need for motherly care. Another is the human love for God, which is dependent and least like God. Both forms of love can become perverted in our relationship with others. For example, a lover may try to make their beloved feel guilty for not reciprocating his or her love or might invent a new need. Both forms of love may be perverted, but in the end they all lead to the same place.
Gift-love
People who speak the love language of gift-giving often do not care about monetary values, and they’re more likely to choose sentimental and thoughtful gifts. The act of giving a gift involves spending time and resources, and not just the actual gift itself. If you’re one of those who use this language, there are a few things you should do to show your love. This article provides tips for giving a gift that will speak to your partner’s heart.
Appreciative love
When two people fall in love, the first reaction is likely to be gratitude, but there’s a deeper reason for their appreciation than that. Appreciative love is a reflection of the person’s admiration for physical and aesthetic qualities. For example, when someone is enjoying a cool breeze on a hot day, it’s because they find it enjoyable despite its lack of inherent value. The same goes for a romantic relationship.