Name: Sternberg's Theory of Love: Intimacy, Commitment, Passion
Uploaded: 2018-08-19T13:32:56.000Z
Duration: 4 min 51 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

presented a theory that has piqued the interest of various people

A theory concretising something that has baffled the minds

He called it the "Triangular Theory of Love"

As it's best explained in the form of a triangle

but it's more commonly known as "Sternberg's Theory of Love"

In the context of interpersonal relationships

the fiery depth and intenseness you experience when you like someone

The third component, commitment, ties the other two together

long-term decisions to remain with one another and plan for the future

combinations of the three components previously described

This basically characterises the majority of our personal relationships which consists of simple

It could apply to your acquaintances, or to people who you're not particularly attached to

Friendship exists when only intimacy is present

This is the set of feelings you experience

without the intense passion or commitment of romance

It can however be a root for other forms of love to manifest from

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Three, Infatuated Love

Infatuation occurs when passion is present

and both intimacy and commitment is absent

Solely sexual relationships are also included

as they are only bounded by carnal desires and nothing more

This is the most common root of romantic love as it's believed that

But if neither intimacy nor commitment develops, this type of love

An example of empty love is an unhappy marriage

where intimacy and the flames of passion for your partner is gone

As a strong love deteriorates into empty love

nothing is left but the contract of marriage itself

It's characterised by the absence of intimacy and passion

Arranged marriages, on the other hand, can start out as empty loves

but can develop into other forms of love over time

Romantic love is a combination of intimacy and passion

not only involve physical bonds, but emotional bonds as well

This is one of the most common stepping stones to married life

This type of relationship is easier to dissolve, with

no legal issues, if you and your partner have had enough of it

Companionate Love is characterised by a combination of

intimacy and commitment, and the absence of passion

It's stronger than Friendship Love because of the addition of commitment

It's observed in long-term marriages where

you don't necessarily need passion in order to stay in love with your partner

Companionate Love can also be found among family members and close

friends who have strong platonic friendships

A good example of a Fatuous Love is when Kim Kardashian

married Kris Humphries, only to divorce him 72 days later

It's a whirlwind of romance we usually see on television

Fatuous Love is the combination of commitment and passion

Consummate Love sits at the very centre of the triangle

as it's said to be the perfect ideal type of love

All three components are present in this type of love

and it's the goal for people in relationships

According to Sternberg, couples experiencing

Consummate Love would continue to be sexually intimate years into the relationship

and they can't imagine themselves being happier with other partners

However, Sternberg cautions that maintaining this relationship is harder than

achieving it and it's not a permanent form of love

With that, do you agree with the types of love that

What other factors do you think affect a relationship?

Do you think the six forms of love are global?

Or is there a subjective perspective for every couple?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below

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