31 Intriguing Psychological Facts About Love

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,” said William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And we wholeheartedly agree with him. While love may be an oft-repeated word, it is a complicated emotion. From the ancient Greeks to the modern Tinder generation, everyone has been puzzled by love. We believe love isn’t just about matters of the heart but also of the mind. And there are many psychological facts about love that can prove this and baffle us completely!

So, what is the equation of love and psychology facts? We’re not talking about right-swiping and online dating, but about deeper conversations and long-term relationships that have the power to heal us from within. In this article, we will explore 31 such intriguing psychological facts about relationships that will help us realize how much of our minds are affected by love. So, let’s dive in…

31 Intriguing Psychological Facts About Love

It’s amazing how love can change people. And we’re not talking about magical love potions. But you may have seen your coworker lost in her thoughts and zoning out during an important presentation at work, only to whisper in your ears later that she had been smitten by her date the previous day. Or you may have been amazed at how your teenage brother, who used to splurge recklessly on his video games, now saves the last bit of his pocket money to treat his new girlfriend. Or you may have witnessed the magic of love in your own life too!

Related Reading: 21 Differences Between Love And Infatuation

Yes, love is a powerful emotion. And it can make people do crazy things. It can also turn the most hard-hearted person into a ‘sucker’ for romance. So, what is it that makes people fall in love? Is love any different in a long-term relationship? Does love make you heal faster from ailments? What’s the connection between love and psychology facts? We have answers to many such strange queries that you may have about love — the emotion that drives the world. So, here are some of the most amazing psychological facts about relationships:

1. Humans aren’t wired to be monogamous

Science has proved time and again that no matter how much we love, humans aren’t supposed to be monogamous. In fact, a study suggests that humans have evolved to appear socially monogamous as it is more convenient to raise babies that way.

2. Men say “I love you” first

One of the most interesting love psychology facts is that men express or show their love more quickly, even though women are deemed more emotional and wired to fall in love easily. No, we’re not the ones saying this, researchers are.

3. Love is similar to OCD

One of the most fascinating psychological facts about love is that it’s almost similar to OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder in a relationship. Now, OCD is apparently marked by a decrease in serotonin levels. A study has proved that people who are in the initial stages of romantic love tend to have similar levels of serotonin as OCD patients! This is also one of the weirdest love psychology facts.

Related Reading: 6 Reasons Why Chocolate Makes Relationships Sweeter

4. Love has 3 components

It was Robert Sternberg who, in his triangular theory of love, stated that human love is basically the sum total of 3 components, namely: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment. This is another one of the interesting psychological facts about relationships.

5. People newly in love have high cortisol levels

Perhaps one of the most fascinating love psychology facts is that love can stress you out. A study has proved that people who are in the initial stages of love have significantly higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which the body produces to prepare it for dealing with stressful situations). But when the same people are sure about the stability of their relatively healthy relationships, the body ends up having lower levels of cortisol.

6. Men take 8 seconds to fall in love

A study on who falls in love faster gave researchers surprising results. It proved that men apparently were the ones who fell in love at first sight more often and took a little over 8 seconds to fall in love. Aren’t such fascinating love facts surprising in equal measure?

Related Reading: Dear Men, This Is The ‘Right Way’ To Handle Your Woman’s Mood Swings

7. Men find women in red more desirable

Here is another one of the fascinating facts about psychology of love: merely a color can make a man fall for a woman! Multiple studies have shown that men tend to find women dressed in red far more attractive than women decked up in other colors. Recent research has further put a stamp on this result, proving that red increases the perceived attractiveness of women who are otherwise deemed attractive too.

8. Women mostly don’t marry their soul mates

Don’t we love the tales of high-school sweethearts celebrating their 30-year anniversaries, surrounded by their kids? Well, the reality may not be as rosy! A study by AOL Living suggested that most women felt their husbands weren’t their soulmates. This is one of the saddest psychological facts about relationships.

Related Reading: Recognizing Soulmate Energy- 15 Signs To Watch Out For

9. Love acts like a painkiller

One of the strangest facts about psychology of love is that it is literally a painkiller. A Stanford University study showed that people, when administered mild doses of physical pain while being shown photos of their romantic relationship partners, tended to feel less pain. So, when you don’t have a painkiller at home, try some love instead!

10. Love is like cocaine

One of the most baffling psychological facts about love is that it almost acts like a drug. Multiple studies, including one by researchers at Syracuse University, have proved that love produces a sense of euphoria very similar to what people feel when they are high on cocaine. So, we can definitely say you get high on love!

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11. You can control your intensity of love

Well, love makes us do strange things, doesn’t it? But what if we tell you that we can control how much we love a person? A study has shown that humans are able to control their love for others, for instance, by considering all the negative or toxic traits of the person.

12. Sense of humor begets love

So, we thought ‘sense of humor’ was a run-of-the-mill answer to, “What do you like in men?” Well, it turns out, not just women, a sense of humor, perhaps is a trait that even men want in their partners. Research suggests that humor in a romantic relationship increases the love quotient by leaps and bounds. This is one of the fun facts about psychology of love.

Related Reading: What Is A Dry Sense Of Humor?

13. A loving partner helps you heal, literally

Researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center have proven that having a partner who shows they care heals wounds twice as fast compared to having a partner who’s aggressive. So, when we say love helps you heal, take our word for it.

14. The ‘out of my league’ factor is for real

A study has proved that most people date based on their own self-worth. Yes, it’s strange but true that people in the dating pool don’t go for those they deem ‘out of their league’. Well, usually

Related Reading: Twin Flame Connection – Definition, Signs And Stages

15. ‘Love at first sight’ isn’t a myth

One of the fascinating facts about psychology of love is that the concept of ‘love at first sight’ exists. Studies have proved that people do fall in love at first sight, provided they love the other person’s physical features and personality traits. Additionally, people are also attracted to similar traits and reciprocity.

16. Eye contact can actually make you fall in love

The role of eye contact in romantic love has been the subject of many studies, including the 1970 study conducted by Zick Rubin. But a more recent experiment by Dr. Elaine Aron has proved that eye contact plays a major role in two people falling for each other. So, yes, gazing into each other’s eyes may make you fall head over heels in love with one another.

17. Love makes you do silly things

So, ever done something really crazy, like drunk-dialing your crush at 3 am? Here is one of the most amazing facts about love that will help put such actions in perspective. Apparently, love makes you do not just silly things but also act somewhat recklessly. This is all because the part of the brain that makes you aware of the outcomes of various actions, the amygdala, is apparently deactivated to some extent when you’re in love. Don’t believe us? Well, studies say so too!

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18. Your approach to love depends on your attachment style

Multiple studies have shown that the way you love your partner depends on your attachment style or your childhood experiences with your parents or caregivers. Your attachment style (and there are many forms of attachment styles), in fact, determines how you resolve conflicts and how you approach both sex and romantic love.

19. Your mom may know more about your love life than you

A study with university students as subjects proved that the parents and roommates of the students predicted the outcomes of their relationships more accurately than they did. Furthermore, the observers’ predictions were more realistic, while the students themselves were hopeless romantics who viewed their love lives optimistically.

Related Reading: Love Vs Money: Choosing Love Over Materialism

20. Your sweat may hold the key to love

One of the amazing facts about love is that the secret to attraction may lie in your scent or sweat! Yes, it’s true. When humans sweat, they release pheromones that attract a potential partner. Amazingly, a study also proved that homosexual men were more attracted to the scent of other homosexual men. Love sure is mind-boggling!

21. Love is all there is

A 75-year-long Harvard study proved something that only poets and writers have claimed till now. It showed that when people spoke of happiness, they almost always spoke about their experiences with love. This shows that humans prioritize love in their lives, even if they don’t reveal it.

Related Reading: Eternal Love: What It Is And Does It Really Exist?

22. The fear of love is a reality

As absurd as it may sound, there are people on this planet who fear love and the idea of falling in love. Yes, my friends, research shows that the fear of love exists. Philophobia is an actual term that describes such a situation. It is a mental health condition that prevents people from falling in love. In fact, it is one of the many phobias surrounding love and sex.

23. Love languages define how we love our partners

Psychologist Gary Chapman was the one who suggested the idea of the 5 ‘love languages’ that define how we give and receive love. These love languages are:

• Words of affirmation
• Acts of service
• Physical touch
• Gifts
• Quality time

With time, people have also started accepting many other love languages, such as the sixth love language, ‘feeling known’. This proves the connection between love and psychology.

Related Reading: Love Can Change Your Life Around And Make You Happy

24. Kissing your love interest provides greater satisfaction in relationships

Kissing, one of the most definite acts of love, doesn’t just indicate foreplay or affection. Multiple studies on kissing have proved how significant it is in strengthening the bond between partners and increasing relationship satisfaction. Apparently, kissing also improves health.

25. You can literally die from a broken heart

Yes, this might make you cry! It turns out that people can actually die of a broken heart. Apparently, broken heart syndrome is a reality. Often, people who lose their loved ones end up dying of stress-induced cardiac arrests within the first few weeks of the tragedy. This also has a scientific term: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

26. Love hormones help you bond

It is common knowledge that the brain releases love hormones, which bring about positive emotions. Apart from the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine, the ‘cuddling hormone’ oxytocin too has a major role in ‘love’. In fact, these brain chemicals strengthen romantic bonds between partners. However, a recent study has proved that oxytocin may actually help people recover from cognitive ailments such as dementia.

Related Reading: Here’s Why Making New Memories is Important

27. People fall in love only if they want to

Yes, on the one hand, it seems as if love controls us, while on the other, surprising as it may seem, we may actually be able to control when and how we fall in love. Talk about baffling psychological facts about love! A 2021 research by Jin Zhang and his colleagues proved that ‘love at first sight’ could be caused by a person’s “desire and readiness” to fall in love.

Now, this may sound like something straight out of a Black Mirror episode, but love can actually give you the power to predict your partner’s actions. How? Well, you see, love activates the mirror neurons of the brain, which help you anticipate your romantic partner’s actions. Research has shown this too. This explains why some couples can finish each other’s sentences. This also shows the intriguing bond between love and psychology.

29. Love improves your physical health

A study proved that people in love tend to have 12% more chances of having a healthy heart, compared to those who aren’t. Now, isn’t that a mind-numbing fact? So, fall in love to ensure your well-being!

Related Reading: Is Unconditional Love In A Relationship Really Possible? 12 Signs You Have It

30. True love lasts

No, true and lasting connections aren’t the figments of the imagination of romance novelists. A study by researchers at Stony Brook University proved that the brain activity of people in long-term relationships, who had been in love for years, was the same as those who were newly in love. This is one of the most amazing facts about love that can reinforce your belief in a happily-ever-after.

31. The brain can take its own sweet time to make you fall in love

People apparently feel romantically attracted to others based on activity in particular areas of the brain. While this may take a few minutes for some, for others, it may take longer. And this has been proved scientifically.

So, we hope, through our list of 31 psychological facts about love, we’ve been able to explain the strange relationship between love and psychology! It’s true, these weird but true and interesting facts about love may make you think twice before claiming you love someone, or even make you ponder over the complex functions involved in making someone fall in love. But they will also challenge your brains, as you try to make sense of these love and psychology facts.

These amazing facts about love are not just fun to read but are also proof that the world is, after all, a strange place, with many of its weird secrets hidden from us. So, go ahead, fall in love, and be in love…and explore this fathomless emotion. We wish you all the best in your journey.

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