Have you ever wondered whether there is a recipe for love? Well, according to psychology, there actually is!
Psychologist, Robert Sternberg, proposed a triangular theory of love which suggests that there are three components or “ingredients” to love: commitment, passion and intimacy.
The first ingredient is 💬 INTIMACY 💬. This is not necessarily sexual intimacy. Intimacy is described as the feelings of closeness and attachment to one another. This tends to strengthen the tight bond that is shared between those two individuals
The second one is 🔥 PASSION 🔥 and that’s where you get physical passion. Passion can be associated with either physical arousal or emotional stimulation. This is often the feelings of enthusiasm or excitement we feel around our special someone.
And the last one is ⏰ COMMITMENT ⏰, and this is a long-term commitment. The decision to remain committed in a relationship is mainly determined by the level of satisfaction that a partner derives from the relationship.
When you look at the components or “ingredients” of love and you start combining them, different types of love emerge.
1️⃣ NO Intimacy + NO Passion + NO Commitment = Non-love
2️⃣ Intimacy = Liking.
3️⃣ Passion = Infatuation.
4️⃣ Commitment = Empty
5️⃣ Intimacy + Commitment = Companionate love
6️⃣ Intimacy + Passion = Romantic love
7️⃣ Passion + Commitment = Fatuous love
8️⃣ Intimacy + Passion + Commitment = Consummate love
