Is a Healthy Relationship Healthy Love?
Love is one of the oldest human behaviors and an integral part of human civilization. There are many forms of love, ranging from simple physical attraction to complex emotional attachments. Love has also been used as a motivational force in some instances, such as when religious texts or social mores would call upon us to love our fellow man. The dictionary defines love as a romantic attachment or intense attachment, sometimes lasting over a period of time and sometimes separated, with the purpose of reciprocating the other’s love. While love is not only a human trait but also a universal aspect of life, it is important to know the different types of love and their characteristics so that you would be able to determine how to express your love to your partner.
The love languages of people differ from one another and are usually determined by their upbringing. Love, which is usually expressed through physical affection is often described by the language of love as an emotional bond, such as a connection between two bodies. Physical affection can be expressed through cuddling, kissing, hugging, and even sex. It is therefore not uncommon to hear about couples who spend most of their waking hours together, peacefully snuggling together while in deep sleep. This is typically a manifestation of a very natural and basic love which is expressed during their daily interactions.
The love languages of people vary on the basis of their level of intimacy. Those who are more attached to another person physically can be described by saying “I feel comfortable being intimate with her”. Physical intimacy is often expressed by fondness for another person or an extreme desire to spend time with them. When it comes to romantic love, which is felt on a deeper level, it may involve a form of infatuation, similar to that which is felt when meeting a new partner or falling in love with someone new.
When it comes to those who are not quite intimate with their partner, there are still expressions of feelings which can be expressed, but they do not involve any form of physical contact with the partner. For instance, some couples go to great lengths to ensure that they keep each other happy by ensuring that they eat dinner together, go out on dates or just enjoy a quiet evening at home. On the other hand, a relationship which is less intimate does not necessarily mean that the relationships are less loving or have less significance. This simply means that the intimacy which is expressed may differ from that feeling between close physical contact partners. For instance, pataky says that men are able to establish intimacy through a shared responsibility of caring for the home while women are able to achieve it through sharing responsibility in the workplace.
It is thought that there are several areas of the human brain which are responsible for expressing our feelings and these include the limbic system, mid brain, periaqueductal grey area, hippocampus and amygdala. The limbic system controls emotion and is believed to underlie our primitive drives or instincts. The mid-brain region is believed to be responsible for storing and producing the various positive emotions which are necessary in relationships while the amygdala and hippocampus control memory and the fear response. Our liking someone theory suggests that the limbic system and/or the mid brain reward and comfort us with our favorite activities or with people that make us feel good.
It is also believed that our sense of smell is directly linked to feelings. Smelling someone before a relationship is thought to have the effect of desensitizing the individual to their smell which then causes them to have stronger emotions towards that person. Thus, a healthy relationship means having a relationship that is mutually pleasing to each partner. In fact, one of the only ways to really know if you are in love is to share your feelings with your partner.