“Love is a many splendored thing,” wrote William Shakespeare, and this was as true then as it is true today. Love encompasses a whole range of positive and negative emotional and psychological states, from pure virtue or ideal love, the highest personal intimacy, to the easiest joy. The only reason love is sometimes considered as a dirty word is because negative connotations have been attached to it in the past. In more modern times, however, loving has been elevated to a spiritual imperative, which is one of the greatest gifts of God. If love were only a physical emotion, mankind would be as happy as can be since everyone would live happily ever after.
The word “love” can mean different things to different people. On the one hand, it can refer to a profound connection that exists between two people. This type of romance involves intense feelings of caring and devotion, security and trust, and a deep desire for the other person’s happiness. Romantic love is often described as the feelings a person has toward another person that compels them to commit to the relationship and be loyal and faithful to their partner.
On the other hand, love means much more than this. In order for a relationship to be considered as healthy, a couple must be capable of communicating and working through issues and conflicts with each other. Romantic love can also refer to a deep, personal connection or bond between two lovers that does not include sexual contact, but rather a sense of deep and unspoken bonding. Healthy relationships allow partners to experience feelings of trust, safety, and security and, when those feelings are shared with a complementary partner, a partnership is formed that brings both people together for enduring happiness.
It’s been shown that the parts of the brain responsible for emotion regulation and stress management are located in the left and right brain, and these brain regions are directly connected to our feelings. When we feel good, we tend to spend more time with others, we have more positive thoughts and emotions, and we find it easier to deal with negative situations. This is why people who are in good relationships tend to be happier than those who are in unhealthy relationships – they have access to their brain regions that promote feelings of happiness and well-being.
Neuropsychologists have also discovered that individuals who display highly intense feelings of love tend to make better friends and are more socially competent. These are the types of individuals who are capable of working productively and are capable of enduring interpersonal relationships. The other personality traits associated with love style include self-disclosure, care about what others think, and a need for affection. Loving someone means sharing your deepest most heartfelt desires and thoughts with them, and you will experience much less conflict in these relationships.
Most people tend to fall into one of two types of love styles: intensely romantic or self-disclosure loving. Those who are in the self-disclosure loving category may feel that they should speak their hearts out, express their deepest desires to their significant other, and not feel they have to hold back because they may feel they are too vulnerable to share their feelings. Individuals in the intense romantic category may feel that they need to give in more to their significant other than they think they are able to get in this type of relationship.
