Types of Love
There are different types of love. Often, people label feelings of love as intimacy, infatuation, puppy love, lust, passion, and so forth. While all these fit into the category of love, they do reveal some of the varieties of love.
Triangular Theory of Love
Intimacy, passion, and
commitment are the three cornerstones of the triangular theory of love.
According to this theory, all these parts must match up in order
to have a satisfying relationship.
If one person is more committed than the other, the relationship
will have problems. This
theory suggests that both people must have the same level of commitment,
passion, and intimacy. It
also adds that each component must be expressed and acted out.
If you only feel intimate but you don't show intimacy, you are
not a very intimate person. You
need to put all components into action.
- INTIMACY-
This
is the part of love that makes you feel close to your partner.
It involves feelings of trust, security, and self-disclosure.
It usually develops over time as people get to know each other
better. Intimacy makes you
feel comfortable talking to your partner and opening up to him or her.
- PASSION-
This
is the feeling of being physically attracted to your partner and having
the desire to express it sexually.
It doesn't mean that you have to express your passion sexually,
but usually some physical desire is present.
Passion is that feeling of always wanting to be near your partner
and always thinking about your partner.
Passion usually characterizes the first stages of a relationship.
Passion can, however, be similar to infatuation or lust.
-
COMMITMENT-
This is the decision you make to be loyal and faithful to your partner
in many ways. It involves
openly and honestly deciding that you both want to strive to have
a satisfying and lasting relationship. This involves planning for
the future, working out problems, and consciously not doing things
that you think would hurt your partner.