How long does it take to fall in love?
Although they refer to it as “chemistry,” falling in love isn’t a precise science. It varies from person to person and depends on a variety of variables, including how physically beautiful you find someone to be and whether you feel at ease around them. However, studies have provided some insight into what happens in the brain when we do experience those first butterflies – and how long it takes for someone to fall in love.
According to a YouGov and eHarmony survey from 2013, men and women take different amounts of time from the first date to declaring their love. Men typically require 88 days to fall in love, whereas women need 134 days to experience the same sentiments of real love. 61 percent of women and 72 percent of men, according to a 2017 survey by another dating site, Elite Singles, believe in love at first sight.
In these polls, heterosexual relationships were the main topic. However, a 2000 research of 38 lesbians revealed that, on average, they expressed their love or commitment to a partner after six months. Other types of relationships have been relatively understudied. According to a 2013 poll by Match.com, just 60% of lesbians and 65% of gay men believe in love at first sight.
How can love impact brain function?
From a neurological perspective, oxytocin and vasopressin, which stimulate the reward center in our brains, are responsible for the ties we experience that we recognize as love. These go to the brain in a fraction of a second, and some studies have found that simply gazing at someone you love can activate the same brain area that produces the euphoric effects of some drugs.
However, those hormones don’t just start working once you meet a possible romantic partner. You must first get to know them. A series of questions created by psychologist Arthur Aron may hasten this process and possibly hasten the love-making process for couples. The so-called “36 questions that lead to love” ask two individuals to be open and share their experiences in life, which can increase intimacy and possibly result in love. It can take some time to finish them all since they aren’t short questions.
People are finding love without even being in the same spot thanks to the rise of dating apps, especially during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic lockdowns. According to a survey conducted by the dating app Bumble in 2021, 67% of people now think it’s feasible to fall in love with someone you’ve never ever met. So perhaps how quickly you can reply to text messages just determines how long it takes to fall in love.
