The term "infatuation love triangle" is not a standard psychological or relationship term; it likely combines two distinct concepts: infatuated love, as defined within Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, and the common relationship dynamic known as a love triangle.
Understanding Infatuated Love
Within the framework of Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, infatuated love is a type of love characterized almost exclusively by intense passion. This passion involves strong feelings of desire, excitement, and attraction, often accompanied by physiological arousal.
Key characteristics of infatuated love include:
- High Passion: It's driven by a powerful emotional and physical attraction.
- Low Intimacy: There is little to no deep emotional connection, mutual understanding, or self-disclosure.
- Low Commitment: There is no conscious decision to stay with the other person long-term or to build a lasting future together.
Romantic relationships frequently begin as infatuated love. As a relationship progresses and individuals share more deeply, this infatuation can evolve into romantic love, which incorporates both passion and developing intimacy. However, without the development of deeper intimacy or a commitment to the relationship, infatuated love can be fleeting and may disappear as quickly as it began.
Contrast this with empty love, which is defined by commitment without the presence of either intimacy or passion, and represents a relationship where a stronger love may have deteriorated over time.
The Triangular Theory of Love
Developed by psychologist Robert J. Sternberg, the Triangular Theory of Love posits that love is composed of three basic components:
- Passion: The motivational drives relating to attraction, romance, and sexual desire.
- Intimacy: Feelings of closeness, bondedness, and connectedness, including mutual understanding and sharing.
- Commitment: The decision to love someone and the commitment to maintain that love over time.
Different combinations of these three components result in various types of love, with infatuated love being one such combination (high passion, low intimacy, low commitment).
The Concept of a Love Triangle
In common usage, a love triangle refers to a romantic relationship dynamic involving three individuals. Typically, this scenario involves:
- One person being romantically involved with two others.
- Two people competing for the affection of a third.
- Two people in a relationship, with one developing feelings for a third party.
Love triangles are often complex, fraught with emotional conflict, jealousy, and ethical dilemmas, as they challenge traditional monogamous relationship structures.
When Infatuation Fuels a Love Triangle
While "infatuation love triangle" isn't a formal term, infatuation can certainly play a significant role in the dynamics of a love triangle involving three people. For example:
- Initial Spark: One person in a love triangle might be infatuated with another, driven purely by intense passion and desire, leading them to pursue a relationship despite existing commitments or rival affections.
- Fleeting Attraction: The intensely passionate, yet uncommitted and non-intimate nature of infatuation can make a love triangle particularly unstable. If the feelings are based solely on infatuation, the intensity might quickly fade, leaving confusion and hurt.
- Lack of Depth: In a love triangle fueled by infatuation, the relationships might lack the deeper emotional connection and long-term commitment often required for stability, leading to constant shifts in allegiance or unresolved tension.
In essence, if one or more individuals within a three-person love triangle are experiencing infatuated love, the dynamic would be characterized by intense, often volatile, passion with limited emotional depth or commitment, making the situation particularly unstable and potentially dramatic.
