You lock eyes across the room. Your heart picks up tempo. Fireworks explode in your mind. Not literally, but you get the picture: The grand love at first sight (LAFS) experience you've been waiting for, which was totally promised by so many romantic comedies, has finally shown up! Romantic though it sounds, the experience is far less likely to be about true love than it is about lust or simple physical attraction, according to the results of a study published in the December 2017 issue of the Journal of the International Association for Relationship Research. There has been little scientific investigation into whether LAFS really exists - until now. The researchers used three platforms, including a laboratory study, an online study and three dating events, one of which was a speed dating event. In total, they worked with about 400 participants, mostly Dutch and German students, who reported roughly 500 encounters. They asked the participants to first report whether they'd had the LAFS experience, then to note how physically attractive they found the objects of their affection. Th​is  data was　done ᠎with G SA  Co ntent Genera​tor DEMO᠎!

Not too surprisingly, LAFS did seem to go hand-in-hand with considering a partner physically attractive. By retrospectively, the researchers mean that many people attach a LAFS label to their successful relationship after the fact, noting that it, "could also be a memory confabulation construed by couples to enhance their relationship." So, maybe they considered their mate a hottie straightaway and definitely wanted to get to know him/her better. Though this flies in the face of the romance novels and films, few scientists or relationship experts are likely to disagree with the study's results. They simply see too much corroborating evidence. Caitlin Bergstein, a Boston-area matchmaker with Three Day Rule in an email. Bergstein's colleague Andrea Leiser concurs, and often counsels her clients not to limit themselves by grandiose expectations. Sure, Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts always come out on top in the rom-coms, but we can't say the same for many celebrated couples, including Romeo and Juliet, Lancelot and Guinevere, Cleopatra and Mark Antony and Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. This ᠎po st has been generat᠎ed by GSA Content G᠎enerator ​DEMO.

You’re unlikely to fall in love at first sight. It has been proven that this experience is far less likely to be about true love than it is about lust or simple physical attraction. What does love at first sight really mean? Love at first sight is typically described as a strong initial attraction to someone. Why is love at first sight dangerous? Research on love at first sight has revealed that the moment is typically characterized by a strong initial attraction, but not feelings of intimacy and commitment, which are fundamental to true, lasting love. Can you actually fall in love at first sight? Research suggests that falling in love at first sight is a myth. Often this feeling is rather associated with a strong initial attraction rather than feelings of true, lasting love. How do I cope with love at first sight? Caitlin Bergstein, a Boston-area matchmaker, has shared that it's important to progress a relationship past the love at first sight stage by getting to know the person deeper.

Individuals who have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) believe they are superior and unique compared to others. Signs you could be dating an individual with NPD include the fact that they have very few or no friends, lack empathy, and often gaslight you. What is a narcissist? When someone posts one too many selfies on their social media or talks about themselves constantly during a first date, you might call them a narcissist. But a true narcissist is someone who has narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Individuals who have NPD believe they are superior and unique compared to others, and they expect to be recognized and treated as such. They are often unable to recognize the opinions and needs of others and are dismissive of others’ problems. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) lists nine criteria for NPD, but it specifies that someone only needs to meet five of them to clinically qualify as a narcissist. What it boils down to, according to licensed therapist Rebecca Weiler, LMHC, is selfishness at the expense of others, plus the inability to consider others’ feelings at all.

Like most mental health or personality disorders, there are varying degrees of NPD severity. In outpatient settings, for example, people who have a narcissistic personality disorder may be high functioning and relatable, but in the inpatient settings, they can be aggressive and challenging. A person’s aggression typically indicates the severity of the disorder. Additionally, people who have NPD often experience other physical and mental health conditions, like substance use disorder and true love anxiety, which may further complicate close relationships. All that said, knowing the "official" diagnostic criteria doesn’t usually make it easier to spot someone with NPD, especially when you’re romantically involved with one. A qualified expert will typically have to administer a standard psychiatric interview to determine if someone has NPD. Still, knowing the signs of NPD may help give your relationship some context. Here are some signs to look out for and tips to handle them. People who have NPD gravitate toward grandiosity and fantasy. Your relationship might have felt like a fairytale at first - maybe they complimented you constantly or told you they loved you within the first month.