Lust, Romance And Attachment: Our Drive To Love | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Lust, Romance And Attachment: Our Drive To Love

Dr. Helen Fisher explains in presentation at Iona College how love is one of the most powerful motivators in our lives.

128
Lust, Romance And Attachment: Our Drive To Love
google.com

NEW ROCHELLE, NY- Dr. Helen Fisher, Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, Member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University, and Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com, visited Iona College Oct. 4th to voice her knowledge regarding romantic love, happiness, and why we choose our partners.

Love is one of the most powerful motivators in our lives according to Fisher, which explains why she has dedicated her life’s work towards understanding the biological propulsions leading to romantic fulfillment. According to Fisher, romantic love is a universal drive. She explains there are no scientific findings uncovering a difference in passion between men and women in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Additionally, her findings showed no age limitation to romantic love; romantic love can occur at any age.

Fisher discussed her brain scanning work on the three brain systems and the theory of sex drive, romantic attraction, and attachment and how these elements have evolved specifically for mating and reproduction. She correlates each of the three-brain systems to a corresponding brain chemical. Serotonin, Dopamine, and Oxytocin are three she mentioned as directly associating with either biological and/or emotional responses in the human brain. By organizing partner selection into a system with corresponding brain chemicals, Fisher shows how we are able to figure out how and why we choose, love, and tolerate a specific lover. She explains that if and when we exhibit a balanced ratio of all three-brain systems, multiple involuntary traits are introduced further stimulating romantic feelings. Fisher wittily states that these involuntary traits make it feel like “someone is camping in your head.” Regressing to a biological standpoint, she clarifies that when “in love” brain activity lights up below the “thinking areas” defining romantic love as a drive.

As scientific advisor for Match.com, an online dating service used by millions of people in more than 25 countries, she uses her knowledge of the biological implications of romantic love to determine criteria for matching people together on the dating site. She utilizes her scientific findings on the temperament and biological predispositions of individuals to sort each person into one of four groups. Each of the four groups (Dopamine, Serotonin, Testosterone, Estrogen) consist of specific characteristics of a person's personality based on their culture (environment/experiences) and temperament (biology/predispositions). Once placed into a one of the four specific groups based on a validated questionnaire created from brain scans, a person is then linked with a person with personality characteristics that compliment theirs. Fisher believes that by organizing people by their style of thinking and behavior then matching them with a person who compliments their personality,a connection is created that encourages long-term partner happiness.

Our drive to love is attributed to countless factors. Our drive to love is tenacious, innate, and provokes a wide range of emotion. We are rejected in love and we reject love in order to reach the specific goal of finding a life-long partner. Our brain chemistry, our environment, and our personalities all influence why we ultimately choose to be with a certain person. According to Fisher, when we are able to suspend negative judgments and are able to express empathy towards our lover, we are on our way towards long-term happiness in a partnership. However, in the words of Dr. Fisher, it is important that when in romantic love we must not treat others the way we want to be treated rather, how they want to be treated.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

197741
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

19382
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

461284
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

28530
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments