Love, love, love! It makes the world go round, they say, and that’s kind of true, if we come to think about it. It’s a great force, the most wonderful feeling, but can also tear us apart, almost physically. Love holds so much space not only in our lives, but in our psychology, in our biology, and in our history. Here are seven fun facts about love that will wow you. 😉
1. Monogamy is not just for humans. You may think that monogamous relationships are just for humans. However, one of the fun facts about love is that various species in the animal kingdom commit to life-long relationships and live with only one partner throughout their lives.
2. Addicted to love! That feeling of euphoria you get when you fall in love is the same feeling that drug users experience. Both actions trigger the release of happy hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline, giving you a natural high.
3. Love is blind! When someone looks at a new love, the neural circuits that are usually associated with social judgement are suppressed. So in a way, love really is blind.
4. Your heart can actually break. It seems that intense, traumatizing events, such as a break-up, divorce, loss of a loved one, physical separation from a loved one, or betrayal can cause real physical pains in the area of one’s heart. This condition is called the Broken Heart Syndrome.
5. The butterflies are real! The expression of having butterflies in your stomach is a real feeling that is caused by an adrenaline rush. When and if you fall for someone, it will probably be hard to avoid the feeling of butterflies dancing and fluttering around in your stomach. This happens as a body’s response to a fight-or-flight situation.
6. Opposites attract is not a myth. Everyone has heard the saying, “opposites attract,” but many people think it might not be true. Another fun fact about love is that having different interests and hobbies as individuals can actually help couples be more spontaneous and have a loving, lasting relationship. However, this does not mean that people with similar interests can’t have happy relationships.
7. Being together makes you live longer! First comes love, then comes marriage – and then comes living longer. According to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, married individuals were 58 percent less likely to die over an eight-year period compared to those who had never made it to the altar.
