According to the Triangular theory of love, the three stages of a relationship are: Biologically programmed, unrequited, and reciprocal. While these three stages of love are essentially similar, the depth of their experience is significantly different. This makes it impossible for one emotion to completely describe love. Nevertheless, these three stages of love all play an important role in our lives. This article aims to clarify these issues. The article explains how each stage affects the other.
Triangular theory of love
The Triangular Theory of Love, developed by Robert Sternberg, identifies three components of love: intimacy, passion, and decision/commitment. Sternberg explains that these three components are all essential for love to exist. These components must be present in every relationship in order for it to work. Each one of them plays an important role in achieving happiness. Whether it is the relationship’s duration, intensity, or quality of communication, all three components must be present in order to achieve true love.
Relationships evolve
A key aspect of relationships is their evolutionary purpose. Couples that share an evolutionary purpose embody the previous “Integral” level. They support each other’s healing, serve humanity and bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Ultimately, these couples advance together into the novelty of love. In a sense, love and relationships are spiritual practices. When we learn to harness the fire in our relationships, we can transform them into the ultimate spiritual practice.
Unrequited love
For centuries, the concept of unrequited love has been a popular theme in both popular culture and cultural arts. Musicians and writers have lamented the lack of love that they’ve received. Until recently, psychologists paid little attention to this subject. Until the publication of “Breaking Hearts: The Two Sides of Unrequited Love” by Roy Baumeister, we didn’t know just how common this phenomenon really was.
Biologically programmed
The Biologically programmed love hypothesis has a few surprising implications. Love, unlike most other emotions, does not simply reflect a feedback mechanism. In fact, it may create its own reality. Love may be a complex feedback mechanism originating in primitive regions of the brain, before the cerebral cortex was formed. When we fall in love, our brains are flooded with sensations transmitted by the vagus nerve that create the emotion. The modern cortex, however, struggles to interpret these primal messages and weave a narrative around the incoming visceral experiences.
Culturally indoctrinated
Indoctrination is a fundamental characteristic of human behavior. As social creatures, we are shaped by our cultural context. We are also shaped by our upbringing and a certain degree of indoctrination is inherent in the parent-child relationship. This is necessary to build stable societies based on shared values. Yet, the process of indoctrination has negative aspects. Indoctrination has been the subject of intense debate for centuries.