Is It Love… Or Just Sex? Here’s How to Know

Here’s a common scenario: You meet someone new, and one look is all it takes to light the fuse of sexual fireworks. You can barely keep your hands off each other — and the excitement of it all feels like falling in love. 

But is it really? Can simple lust masquerade as something more? Is it possible to spot the absence of real romance soon enough to avoid making a bad investment?
The answer to these questions is “yes.”
It’s easy to mistake the explosive chemistry of physical attraction with long-term romantic potential. But if you’re willing to honestly assess your actions and feelings, it’s also not hard to recognize the truth. Here are 7 signs you might be confusing love and sex:
Your attraction is more physical than emotional.
What was the first thing about your partner to catch your attention? Was it his or her sense of humor, or an act of kindness you observed? Or was it their fashion-magazine appearance and manner? There’s nothing wrong with looking good, or with appreciating that trait in someone else. But if that’s not accompanied by a deeper reason for attraction, you may be headed for disappointment.
You say ‘yes’ to sex to keep someone around.
When you’ve just started dating someone new, there may come a moment when it’s clear he or she expects sex as the next step — and that their interest may wane if you don’t agree. Saying yes can be an easy way to avoid asking the question: Why do you feel their interest might sag?
You are lovers, but not really friends.
The sex is really good, maybe even great. But what else do you have in common? What would you talk about if one of you were physically incapacitated after an accident? Do you know personal details about them that their most casual friends don’t also know? If you have trouble answering questions like these, chances are sex is standing in for deeper connection.
Your time together is all spent in bed (or getting there).
Do you go out together to public places where the idea is to have fun or get to know each other better? Or do you mostly “hang out” at home where sex is instantly available?
When sex is done, you want to leave.
Lust alone is often all it takes to draw lovers together. But when the sex is done, lust by itself can produce the reverse reaction — like magnets that cling together until you flip them to opposing poles. If either of you can’t stick around to cuddle or spend the rest of the evening together, then the potential for real love is probably small.
The sex may be good, but you still feel unsatisfied.
Researchers have recognized that the biochemistry of sex — through the release of hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin — is meant to engender feelings of well-being and bonding with your partner. But that can’t overcome your own intuition about the relationship’s true potential. Beware if you feel empty after sex, rather than fulfilled.
You resist introducing your partner to friends and family.
Is this person someone you can’t wait to show off? Or do you intuitively suspect that the people who know and love you best will see the truth you are trying hard to deny? If you’re tempted to keep the relationship a “secret,” chances are it has little lasting potential.

 

Online Dating First Message Tips: Opening Lines that Work

I’ll just come right out and say it: Most first messages on online dating sites are terrible. They’re lame, impersonal and just make you feel, well, kind of icky. The immediate thought is Oh, he must say this to everyone or Great, she didn’t even read my profile. I don’t know who invented pickup lines and publicized the notion that they’re a catalyst to romance, but I wish we could all recognize there are better places to start that aren’t thinly-veiled catcalls. Nobody likes being fed a line, period.

 
So I came up with some online dating first message tips that can help you get more responses and get that much closer to meeting someone special.
Online dating can make you feel vulnerable. You’re putting yourself out there and inviting people to pass judgment on your hobbies, interests, and looks. So when you get a message that disregards the special things that make you who you are, it makes you feel disrespected.
I get it, though. If you rely on pickup lines, I kind of see where you’re coming from, and there’s a chance that you mean well. It’s easy to succumb to the pressure of pickup lines, because they’re just that—easy. We see the “cool” guys effortlessly use pickup lines in movies, to great success. We read listicles about the funniest and most clever and most sure-fire things to say when you want to ask someone out. But in reality, no matter how winning a line seems or how many times you’ve practiced it, the line usually falls short. The good news is there are better ways to go about it.
I’m suggesting we say “no” to pickup lines and “yes” to opening lines. There—that already sounds a little friendlier. If you want to make the first move or send the first message while online dating, more power to you. But don’t panic and fall back on a cheesy pickup line, or you run the risk of coming off as demeaning and predatory. Instead, let’s explore opening lines that will actually get you somewhere. These work especially well for online dating. These are specific to me, so adjust accordingly.
“Hi, I’m ____.”
It’s mind-blowingly simple advice, but oh-so effective: Just say hi. The most overlooked word in the online dating world is hi. There’s some merit behind Jerry Maguire’s “You had me at hello”—sometimes “hi” is the perfect thing to say. Simple? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. A polite introduction goes a long way and echoes something you would actually say in real life, demonstrating that you have good manners.
“I’ve visited St. Louis before, I almost went to WashU for grad school.”
Don’t you hate it when somebody messages you and asks, “So, where are you from?” or “What do you like to do for fun?” It makes you feel like they skipped the profile and just messaged you as part of their numbers game. I can’t stress this enough—actually read their profile! Commenting on something he or she wrote in their profile shows that you actually took the time to read what they wrote.
However, don’t push your luck and try to be cute. “I’ve visited St. Louis before, I almost went to WashU for grad school. Maybe you can show me the city some day.” This is an opening line turned pickup line. There’s no need to add the second part—it reads as overly cocky and confident, and negates the good of the first part of the sentence.
“What did the fish say when he swam into a wall? DAM!”
Another online dating first message tip is to break the ice with a (clean) joke. It can work wonders for clearing up any awkwardness you might feel during the first few messages. It’s not, however, an excuse to infuse the conversation with sexual innuendo. A joke could technically be classified as a pickup line, but I think as long as you tell it with good intentions, you’re in the clear.
“You look great in hats.”
I can’t tell you how thrilled I would be to receive this message from a potential match. It’s more specific than the expected “You have nice eyes” go-to compliment. The person might genuinely have great eyes, but try giving a compliment that’s a little quirkier and tailored to what they show in their photos. It will show that you actually absorbed information and remembered the details of what they presented to you in their profile. It also serves as a conversation starter—for example, if the person was wearing a baseball cap, you could ask if they’re a fan of the sports team on the front.
“Hey, your profile caught my eye. I think we have a lot in common. Do you want to meet for a drink tomorrow and see if we hit it off?”
The formality of the initial message exchange can be a little slow at times. If you’re genuinely interested in pursuing someone, why beat around the bush? Instead of exchanging polite banter back and forth, sometimes it’s just better to go for it in person.
Now, it’s time for you to try these online dating first message tips for yourself! Remember, it’s not just what you say—it’s also how you say it. Pickup lines are intended to give you confidence, whereas opening lines have confidence—and respect—baked in. And the simpler, the better. Ask yourself, Would I say this to somebody’s face? Or Is this how I want our “how we met” story to go? If your first message comes from a top 10 list or it’s something your friend “swears by,” chances are it’s a pickup line that will fall flat.

 

Good Things about Being in a Relationship: 6 Positive Effects

Sure, there are some great benefits to being in a relationship—an end to loneliness and access to a constant activity partner, for starters. But, relationships have also been show to benefit physical and mental health. Being in love and having an intimate connection with your partner does wonders for your mind and body:

1. Being in a relationship helps to relieve physical pain. The reward system in your brain that’s been activated due to those feelings of love and romance actually dulls feelings of pain.
A 2010 study found that when college students put their hand on a heat block, they could withstand the heat longer if shown a picture of their partner. This might explain why, after hurting yourself, the only person you really want near you is your partner. It’s that reward system hard at work, and your body is reaping the benefits.
2. Being in a relationship helps reduce heart attacks. Studies have found that long-term relationships, most notably marriages, are like miracle drugs for heart health.
A 2013 study out of Finland found that singles are twice as likely to die from an “acute coronary syndrome event,” such as a heart attack, and other heart-related issues. There’s just something about being in a committed relationship that strengthens both the literal and proverbial heart.
3. People in relationships have lower stress and lower rates of depression. Relationships can benefit mental health–especially in women.
A 2010 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University found that single people suffer from psychological stress and depression more than those in relationships because relationship status affects cortisol production. Cortisol is the stress hormone that can either make or break how one is going to react to a stressful situation. Less stress means less depression.
4. Being in a relationship can positively affect your career. The amount your partner supports you in your career can lead to better professional performance.
A 2014 study found that partners who are “conscientious” give their partners the ability to thrive. Not only does the conscientious partner make for an equal partnership at home, but because he or she establishes a positive and supportive home life, both partners tend to fare better professionally.
5. Married men are happier than single men. Studies have found that men experience more happiness after locking it down.
According to a Michigan State University study of 1366 men, after men say, “I do,” that they are happier than they are when they are single. This isn’t to suggest that getting married is going to make every day a walk in the park, but “[married men] are happier than they would have been if they stayed single.”
6. Relationships help people living longer. While living forever may not be an option, studies show you can live longer if you embrace couple hood. Multiple studies that examined mental health, physical health, overall happiness, and how often couples laugh, have found that those who are married or in healthy, committed relationships live longer.