Sternberg's Triangular Theory Of Love

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What's love got to do with it? Well, Sternberg’s theory says that there is a lot more to love then what people realize. In his Triangular Theory of Love, Sternberg describes love based on three different scales: passion, intimacy, and commitment. Passion is the feeling of sexual attraction to another, intimacy is having emotional feelings in the relationship, and commitment is the intent to keep the relationship even if there are problems. The key thing to remember is that if a relationship is based on one of these elements, then the relationship won’t last. According to Sternberg, in a relationship, if passion is the only thing present, then the couples are experiencing infatuation. This could lead to an affair or one-night stands. Passionate love is based on drive. Passion is considered the “hot” component because of someone feeling strong arousal for their partner. With the element of passion comes sexual desire, but it's not all about being physical. It also has …show more content…

This element is intimacy.
With just the element of intimacy, this type of love is called liking. An example of liking is friendship. You might like your friends, but the relationship lacks passion and commitment. Relationships with intimacy is having high regard for one another. You wish to please each other, share your thoughts and concerns with one another, and help one another when in need. Another name for intimate love is “warm” love because of the fact of how close it brings people together.
Combining intimacy with commitment entails companionate love. Which means you hold a deep affection for someone with a commitment. Companionate love is a personal relation you build with somebody you share your life with, but without the sexual desire. In this case that could be with a old married could who love one another, but the desire kind of burned

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