Human behaviors has always been of an interest to scientists. This field of science, known as Psychology, plays a big part in explaining our daily behaviors, habits and the nit and picks of us.

From this article read in Times, The Science of Romance, it provides an insightful view of what is romance and what is happening in your body beside you having the tingling feeling while in a relationship. It also provides many details that are contrary to conventional wisdom.

I highly encourage you to read through the article if you have the time and interest in what hormones is working in a relationship and how you as an individual will find your life long partnership. If not, i will provide a little overview of what is written in the Time Magazine.(this is only a small part of what is in the article though)

Liking What We See and Hear
We’re suckers for a pretty face, and a lot more. Men prefer women with large breasts and a low waist -to-hip ratio, which are seen as signs of fertility. Women like men with muscular shoulders, a broad chest and a full beard(not in our era though). There are signs of strength and a healthy flow of virility-inducing testosterone. Men with deeper voices are perceived as having a high testosterone level and in one study were shown to have more children, suggesting that women respond to the way they sound.

The Lure of Smell
Like all other animals, we respond to olfactory cues. The menstrual cycles of women living together often synchronize, something that is probably governed by scent. In the same way, men seem able to detect when women are ovulating(and thus are more fertile) and will behave more solicitously toward them during those times. Men and women respond to the scent of each other’s major histocompatibility complex(MHC, part of the genetic makeup of the immune system and something that helps determine whether a fetus they might conceive will be carried to term.

When Love Dies
Love is strong, but not indestructible, People who meet under the influence of alcohol or drugs or in a state of high excitement may cool off when their bodies return to baseline. Rejection may activate regions of the brain that control adduction, which is why it can be hard to quit someone even after that person has quit you. The spurned lover who grows angry or needy can push the other person even further away, which accelerates the split and may actually help both parties.(contrary to popular beliefs huh)

Why We Do It(romance)
Nature doesn’t really care if we experience the thrill of falling in love or not, but it deeply cares that we make a lot of babies and stick around to raise them. The problem is, human babies require an awful lot of care, 18 years or more. When we first reach sexual maturity, we scan the world for people to mate with. When we find someone, romance focuses that scattershot attention. Companionate love then bonds us to our partner for our child-rearing years and beyond.

And, i like this comment from the article.
“Natural opioids get activated, and you think someone made you feel good, but it’s your brain that made you feel good” by Jim Pfaus, Sex Researcher, Concordia University, Montreal.

[via Time]