Hani Henry, associate professor of psychology at AUC's Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Egyptology, says that Robert Sternberg’s psychological theory addresses the most common reasons we fall in love, which are: passion, intimacy, and commitment.

Intimacy

It is possible to fall in love for intimate reasons, but it does not require commitment or passion. Henry said that intimacy is not only about building a close relationship with someone; it can also be used for self-enhancement. It can be self-serving. Everyone longs to feel loved and cared about. Women want to feel feminine, while men want to feel masculine.

Intimacy is captured perfectly in Adele's Hello song. Adele, in the chorus of the song, calls her ex-boyfriend to vent her grief about their relationship. She explained that many years have passed, and she hasn’t done much healing. "Her lyrics speak for many people who are looking to make an emotional connection, whether it's with someone they know or in a relationship that lasts a few months," he explained.

Passion

Normal to fall in love out of desire or strong feelings is normal. Passionate love develops from feelings that lead to sexual attraction and romantic interest. Henry stated, "When someone you like is attracted to you by something that draws them to that person." "The attraction to someone is physical and there is a fascination about the hair and eyes as well as their bodies."

In the absence of intimacy and commitment, infatuation is developed with the person you love. People are attracted to one another and develop a sense of lust. Some people are obsessed and see that person as a type of object. hindi status can be with someone for years and don't feel there is commonality between you and that person," he said.

Commitment

Complete love is only possible through commitment. He stated that those who are committed want stability and a healthy partner. "People who are only looking for commitment might lack basic friendship interests and sexual attraction."

Henry stated that today's young adults are more concerned about objects than they are about relationships. He said, "The objectification of culture comes from consumerism." "The more consumeristic a culture becomes, then the more people lose interest in commitments. Some youth are more interested than others in pleasing people they don’t care for. All things must be consumed, including relationships with people.

Love Outside the Triangular Theory

Although it's common that anyone can relate to Sternberg's love theory, we all have our personal reasons for falling in love. "Your reasons for falling in love don't necessarily have to be scientifically explained. Henry said that personal needs include loneliness, fear, peer pressure, satisfaction, and religious values.

Regardless of what psychology may say about love and how it affects us, we define who we really are by the type of love that we choose. Each of us has our own ways of understanding what makes our lives happy and meets our human needs. "Some people find themselves with a need for each dimension of the triangle. However, they can't give up one of their needs because of the many. Love can be complex.