--- description: Studies show that, in general, men are actually more romantic than women. Men also say “I love you” first, have more positive recollections of their... title: 10 Things That Will Change the Way You Think About Love image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b3e4300191d1504/69876cc45f570ff42db13f95/fingers-love.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 10 Things That Will Change the Way You Think About Love by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 8, 2014 5:01 AM CUT  Love Shines Love ShinesGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 8, 2014 5:01 AM CUT * Studies show that, in general, [men are actually more romantic than women](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/who-is-more-romantic-men-or-women "undefined"). Men also say “[I love you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/who-says-i-love-you-first-men-or-women "undefined")” first, have more positive recollections of their [first kiss](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/who-enjoys-their-first-kiss-more-men-or-women "undefined"), and are more likely to end a relationship because it lacked “[magic](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/who-is-more-likely-to-break-up-because-the-re "undefined").” Saying “I love you” means the most to men and women [at different times.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/when-does-i-love-you-mean-the-most-to-men-and "undefined") * Flowers really do [increase romantic feelings](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-flowers-really-increase-romantic-feelings "undefined"). Uncertainty [does too.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-uncertainty-increase-romantic-attraction "undefined") There are [shortcuts](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-shortcut-to-bonding-with-a-romanti "undefined") to bonding with a romantic partner on a deeper level. * You can tell if people are in love. People who feel a connection [naturally mimic each other](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-gauge-if-someone-is-in-love-with-you "undefined") and they engage in a lot more [eye contact](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-tell-if-two-people-are-in-love "undefined"). Staring into someone’s eyes [can make them fall in love with you.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-staring-into-someones-eyes-make-them-fall "undefined") * Go ahead and babytalk. [It’s good for your relationship](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-babytalk-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-a-romantic "undefined"). * Love does mean being a little [deluded](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-love-mean-being-a-little-deluded "undefined"). Don’t believe it? You’re deluded. This has been shown [time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-being-slightly-delusional-the-key-to-a-hap "undefined") and [time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-being-unrealistic-keep-you-happy-with-you "undefined") and [time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-connection-between-love-and-delusi "undefined") again. * Long term love is [not as rare as people think](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-long-term-love-more-than-a-rare-phenomenon "undefined") but romantic people [don’t have longer relationships](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-romantic-people-have-longer-relationships "undefined") than less romantic people. Your dating history predicts how [optimistic you are about love](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-predicts-how-optimistic-you-are-about-lo "undefined"). Your parents’ relationship predicts how optimistic you are about marriage. * [98% of who you end up with is due to who is around you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-of-who-you-choose-to-date-is-determi "undefined"). 2% is about your desires. Frankly, [you don’t really know what you’re attracted to anyway](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-you-really-have-any-idea-what-you-desire-i "undefined"). * Your name can [screw up](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-your-name-screwing-up-your-love-life "undefined") your love life. Photos of loved ones can [reduce physical pain](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-photos-reduce-pain "undefined"). Think of love [when you want to be more creative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/if-you-want-to-be-more-creative-should-you-th "undefined"). Think about sex to increase analytical ability. * Being in love makes alternative partners [appear less attractive.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-love-make-alternative-partners-less-attr "undefined") It also means [more faked orgasms.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-being-in-love-faked-orgasms "undefined") * [“Love at first sight” relationships](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-love-at-first-sight-relationships-of-lowe "undefined") aren’t of lower quality than relationships slower to develop. Sex can [lead you to love.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-sex-lead-us-to-love "undefined") **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/10-things-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 145,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3618985/change-opinion-love/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3618985/change-opinion-love/"},"headline":"10 Things That Will Change the Way You Think About Love","datePublished":"2014-12-08T05:01:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:04:06.171Z","description":"Studies show that, in general, men are actually more romantic than women. 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