Gratitude Revealed - Love

We have partnered with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center to provide you with these scientific facts. Click on an item below to expand and reveal more.

Love can last

Scientists disagree with the cynical view that love fades over time. One study found that a significant proportion of long-married couples still report being intensely in love.

Love is good for your body

Feeling in love boosts the body’s level of oxytocin, aka “the love hormone,” which makes you experience a wave of contentment and calms the body.

Love is blind—and that can be a good thing

Studies suggest that maintaining “positive illusions” about your partner, like believing he or she is exceptionally smart or good looking, is associated with greater relationship satisfaction for both of you.

Love is strengthened by gratitude

Consciously feeling and expressing thanks for your partner makes both of you feel closer to one another and more committed to the relationship.

Love reduces pain

People in painful situations report feeling less pain when they look at photographs of their loved ones.