Love

Articles, Films and practical Guides on love, part of Psyche’s coverage of relationships, work and leisure.
A bearded person gently cradling a newborn wrapped in a patterned blanket by a window in soft light.
EMOTIONS

Why kama muta is an emotion worth seeking

I wasn’t quite sure what this moving, warm-and-fuzzy feeling was, until research put a name to it: ‘kama muta’

by Hannah Seo

Photo of two women sitting in blue chairs talking in a bright room with plants, a patterned table between them.
LOVE

More than laissez-faire love – demystifying modern polyamory

Video by Esther Perel

Painting of a man with a dark beard and cloth headwear aiding an injured man wearing a toga in a pastoral landscape with horses and a rider in the background.
LOVE

More than just a feeling, love can guide our moral compasses

Video by The Well

Illustration of a couple holding hands walking past a giant cheque that unravels to reveal a scenic view of a bridge over a river and the Eiffel tower.
LOVE

My swindler sweetheart

I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far

by Patricia Olsen

Oil painting diptych of a man rowing a boat and a woman in blue with a green background.
LOVE

Two lives drift apart and come together in a love story told one brush stroke at a time

Directed by Ian Bruce

Black and white photo of a man and woman sitting under an umbrella; the woman leans on the man’s shoulder.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

True contact is found in silence

For Emil Cioran, ‘true contact’ with another is the deep intimacy that emerges through mute togetherness

by Sam Dresser

An elderly man smiling broadly with sunglasses on, reclining on a floral lounge chair beside an elderly woman outdoors.
LOVE
2

Does it matter if your romantic partner is similar to you?

From traits like extraversion to specific habits, there are many ways a couple can match. New research tests whether it helps

by Phuong Linh L Nguyen & Moin Syed

An elderly woman in black standing in a garden of pink roses with snow-capped mountains in the background.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

Mzia the elevator operator leaves her post for the first time in two decades

Directed by Madeline Leary

Black and white photo of people embracing and saying goodbye at a train station.
LOVE
9

It’s possible to become wiser in who you entrust with your love

Love is not merely irrational – there’s a sense in which it’s also based on reason, which means we can get better at it

by Joel Van Fossen

Paper collage of a man and a woman lying on the floor petting a grey rabbit and a white cat with a small table in the background.
MIND AND BRAIN
4

After a life-altering diagnosis, Case crafts a loving message to his future self

A film by Case Jernigan

Painting of an elderly couple in 16th century attire, man in fur-lined coat and woman in white headdress on green background.
LOVE
10

There’s no good reason to love each other – and that’s a relief

Loving is an unreasonable decision (we are all extremely unpleasant little beasts) and that’s what allows it to survive

by John Kaag

An aeroplane seen in silhouette, flying against a dramatic sunset sky with clouds.
LOVE
3

How to make a long-distance relationship work

Whether an hour or an ocean apart, there will be challenges, but this therapist shows how to make the most of the upsides

by Charlie Huntington

Collage featuring a cut-out photo of woman running overlaid on vintage photos.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES
2

Prison letters animate Diane’s attempt to understand a distant father

Directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Illustration of two female anthropomorphic bears in a romantic embrace sitting on a window sill, with trees in the background and a red bird beside them.
SEX AND SEXUALITY
1

Sweet illustrations capture women’s stories of first-time queer attraction

A film by Diane Obomsawin

Painting of a woman in a flowing white dress and a man lying on a black background with ornamental corners.
LOVE
2

A girl upends her grandparents’ ‘love story’ in this hilarious animation

Directed by Maryam Mohajer

Black and white photo of a couple kissing in a car, focus on a hand wearing a ring and watch embracing the partner.
LOVE
9

How to think differently about love

Poets, philosophers and scientists all tell stories about the nature of romantic love. It can be liberating to critique them

by Arina Pismenny