As anyone who has ever lived and loved can confirm, not all types ofloveare the same.

As a relationship matures, passionate love diminishes somewhat, and more compassionate love takes hold.

What Is Passionate Love?

Young man and woman sharing an intimate moment on the couch

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Hatfield defines passionate love as “a state of intense longing for union with another.”

This bang out of love tends to be more common at the outset of a relationship.

It’s commonly referred to as thehoneymoon stageof a relationship.

People experiencing passionate love tend to experience very powerful feelings for each other.

Where passionate love is marked by its intensity, compassionate love is characterized by its level of intimacy.

Compassionate love, also called companionate love, is about intimacy, trust, commitment, and affection.

In a long-term relationship, passionate love typically simmers down to compassionate love within one to two years.

Even when disagreements take place, people who share compassionate love remain in love and dedicated to one another.

If the timing is off, you might feel like you’ve met theright person at the wrong time.

Attachment Styles

Earlyattachment stylescan also play a role.

Compatibilityis also an important factor that helps passionate love grow into compassionate love.

Passionate love is intense, but it is generally very fleeting.

Passionate love may be quick to fade, but compassionate love endures.

Researchers have long suggested that passionate love tends to be the more likely punch in of love to fade.

As your infatuation grows, your passion for the other person may build and eventually peak.

Look for ways toget out of your rut.

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American Psychological Association.The eternal question: Does love last?

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