From Thomas Platt, South Bend, Indiana, US
I enjoyed Carissa Wong’s article on the mystery of love. My three pillars necessary for love to bloom and last are different from those proposed by Robert Sternberg. My triad consists of desire, respect and trust (based on honesty in word and deed). As I don’t believe we have control over much of our neural activity, I exclude thought from the equation (23 May, p 10).
I believe these are the necessary conditions for a long-lasting relationship and would allow a couple to negotiate differences that may arise over the passage of time. For instance, my wife enjoys travelling. I don’t. I will agree to an occasional foray, but I am fine with her decision to take more frequent excursions with friends or relatives. We continue to share the desire we had when we wed over half a century ago. The respect and trust we have developed have cemented the relationship. Loss of any of these three elements portends a death knell for love.
