This morning, while my friend and I were talking about love, an another friend of mine elaborated about an article that she has read. The article is related with a theory of love designed by a psychologist.
I’ve ever also read the article that she once showed me, but I forgot the details. Then I try to google a keyword about such a theory. And this is what I’ve found:
The triangular theory of love is a theory of love developed by psychologist Robert Sternberg. The theory characterizes love within the context of interpersonal relationships by three different components:
1. Intimacy – Which encompasses feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness.
2. Passion – Which encompasses drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, and sexual consummation.
3. Commitment – Which encompasses, in the short term, the decision to remain with another, and in the long term, the shared achievements and plans made with that other.
(source: http://www.wikipedia.com/)
Noticing this, I remember that my friend also said that couples are rarely have these in one glance, some of them just have a part of these. Furthermore, she said that couples who have all three of Sternberg’s components of love are so lucky. They would always be together and love each other even there are so many pitfalls come and go into their lifes.
Besides, Sternberg also describes seven varieties of love, such as: liking/friendship, Infatuated love, Empty love, Romantic love, Companionate love, Fatuous love, Consummate love.
The greatest variety is the last one. It represents an ideal relationship toward which people strive. But maintaining a consummate love may be even harder than achieving it.
Then I keep asking… which one is my love would be..?
References:
~ Sternberg, Robert J. (1986). “A triangular theory of love“. Psychological Review 93 (2): 119–135. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.119. http://content2.apa.org/journals/rev/93/2/119. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
~Sternberg, Robert J. (1988). The Triangle of Love: Intimacy, Passion, Commitment. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-08746-9.
~Brehm, Sharon S. (2007). Intimate Relationships. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-293801-3.