There are many ways to improve our intimacy skills. As we discussed in Chapter 6, de­veloping intimacy often begins with understanding and liking ourselves—self-love. Other important skills we can develop to enhance our ability to form relationships in­clude receptivity, listening, showing affection, trust, and respect. Self-Love Self-love is different from conceit or narcissism; it is […]

One way to express deep love and intimacy is through sexual behavior, but sexual be­havior itself is not necessarily an expression of love or intimacy. How do we make the decision to have sex? There are many levels of relationships that can lead to sex. Casual sex and “hooking up” can happen between people who […]

to replace the lost partner and vulnerable to self-blame, loss of self-esteem, and distrust of others (Timmreck, 1990).

Popular songs are often about the loss of love; “the blues” is a whole genre of music built on the experience of losing love, and country-western music is well known for its songs of lost love. People experience loss of love in many ways. The couple may realize that their relationship was based on passion […]

t the time of the publication of the photo and following text, Frances had multiple sclerosis and was living at a home for severely physically dis­abled persons called Inglis House. Her husband, Murray, was working full time. Frances: I know there are a lot of things to be thankful for. . . but after all […]

The ability to maintain love over time is the hallmark of matu­rity. Many people regard love as something that happens to them, almost like catching the flu. This attitude hides an impor­tant truth about love: it takes effort and commitment to main­tain love—not only commitment to the other person but com­mitment to continually build on […]

hat does our brain have to do with our feelings of love and romance? New research into brain physiology has found that our brain is more in­volved than you might think. Magnetic resonance imag­ing (MRI) of brain functioning revealed that certain areas of the brain experience increases in blood flow when a newly in love […]

In the Men’s Locker Room played organized sports for 15 years, and they were as much a part of my growing up as Cheerios, television, and homework. My sexual­ity unfolded within this all-male social world of sport, where sex was always a major focus. I re­member, for example, when we as prepubertal boys used the […]

If any area of research in love and intimacy has yielded conflicting findings, it is the question of gender differences. Research has found that women tend to give more im­portance to the future of intimate relationships than men do (Oner, 2001). Women think more about whether a romantic relationship will develop into a long-term com­mitted […]

Good Looks or a Good Prospect? What Do You Want in a Partner? How important are good looks in a mate? 2 3.0 (6