The passionate dimension of love can best be characterized by
feelings of being in love . The passion dimension focuses
on those intense feelings of arousal that arise from physical
attraction and sexual attraction. Passion may also arise from
increasing levels of self disclosure as intimacy develops in a
relationship. Passion is that intense euphoric "high" that you
may experience when you are in love--you feel euphoric--on top
of the world--your heart races, and you get butterflies in your
stomach. You yearn to to be physically close to and to join with
the person--You often can't stop thinking about the person. At
first, passion is often based on the more external qualities of
how the person looks and acts, rather than on whether they share
one's values, beliefs, interests or attitudes. Depending on the
level of intimacy and commitment, the passionate aspect of love may
include anxiety and uncertainty because one might not be sure that
the feelings are mutual. Idealization of the person (seeing only
their good qualities and projecting on them the qualities that you
want them to possess) is also quite common when the passionate
aspects of love are intense. Passion is typically most intense
at the beginning of romantic relationships when you don't know
much about the person and continues to be at high levels as self
disclosure increases. Over time, as the relationship progresses
(as you get to know your partner better and the physical arousal
aspects habituate), the experience of passion diminishes.
The Love Test, Copyright © 1996, Betty Harris and Jim Glover.
