This article will explore the relationship between emotional closeness created by shared adversity and its impact on sexual bonding and long-term relational outcomes. It is well established that humans tend to form stronger bonds through challenging experiences such as facing adversities together. This study investigates how such emotional closeness influences sexual bonding and if it can lead to better long-term relationships.
Emotional Closeness
Emotional closeness involves feeling deeply connected to someone else emotionally, socially, and intellectually. It is often characterized by trust, openness, understanding, and comfort in sharing thoughts, feelings, and experiences. When people experience adversity together, they become more vulnerable and exposed, making them feel closer emotionally. Shared adversity brings people closer because it creates a sense of togetherness, mutual support, and interdependence. During this time, individuals rely on each other for survival, which strengthens their emotional connection.
Sexual Bonding
Sexual bonding refers to the physical, psychological, and emotional attachment between partners during sex. People who have experienced shared adversity are likely to feel more intimate with each other, leading to increased sexual attraction and desire. The hormone oxytocin is released during sex, promoting feelings of love and affection. Experiencing an intense ordeal together can make couples more susceptible to these effects, leading to deeper sexual connections.
Long-Term Relationship Outcomes
Studies show that couples who experience shared adversity together are more likely to stay together longer than those who do not. Such couples tend to be more committed to one another, have higher levels of trust and intimacy, and are less prone to infidelity. They also report higher satisfaction levels, greater relationship quality, and lower rates of breakups. This is because shared adversity creates a deep emotional closeness that allows them to overcome challenges and build stronger relationships over time.
How does the emotional closeness created by shared adversity influence sexual bonding and long-term relational outcomes?
The formation of strong bonds between individuals who have been through difficult times together is often facilitated by an increased sense of intimacy and vulnerability that develops as they face challenges side-by-side. This can be particularly true when it comes to sexual bonding, where partners who have endured stressful experiences together may feel more connected and comfortable sharing their innermost feelings with one another.