Why Do We Fall In Love?
BBC Earth|Volume 14 - Issue 2
Is it companionship, procreation or something more? DR ANNA MACHIN reveals what makes us so willing to become targets for Cupid’s arrow
Dr Anna Machin
Why Do We Fall In Love?
At the most basic level, love is about survival – of the individual and the species. Humans are highly cooperative; we have to cooperate to subsist, to gain knowledge and to raise our highly dependent offspring. But cooperation isn’t easy. In an ideal world we’d live in blissful solitude doing what we wanted when we wanted and not having to consider the needs of, or the threats from, others.

Group living means that we have to compete for resources, coordinate our movements, exist within a hierarchy and make sure we keep an eye out for those who might lie, cheat and steal. So, what has evolution come up with to ensure we start and then invest in these survival-critical relationships despite their costs? Love.

LOVE IS THE DRUG

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