Have you heard of Emophilia? Probably not since it is a new term only recently coined by Dr. Daniel Jones, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Adult Behavioral Health. But if you find yourself falling in love all of the time then you should know what it means.
Emophilia is a relatively new term in psychology and emotional studies. It refers to a tendency or preference for experiencing and expressing emotions. Emophilia describes an individual’s inclination towards emotional experiences and expressions. It can be thought of as a love for or attraction to emotions.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at [email protected].
Thank you.
Like many psychological traits, emophilia exists on a spectrum. Some people may be highly emophilic, while others may be less so.
While not considered a pathology, elevated levels of emophilia can lead to risky behaviors. Individuals high in emophilia may overlook red flags in potential partners, neglect safe sexual practices, or even engage in harmful behaviors to maintain a romantic relationship. These findings are detailed in the forthcoming book, “Emophilia: The Science of Serial Romance” (Jones, 2024).
Despite limited attention in psychological literature, emophilia warrants further exploration. By understanding this construct, researchers can gain valuable insights into the complexities of romantic attachment, personality, and individual differences.
“Their excitement, rush of attraction, and fast connections don’t turn off once they get into a relationship. Because they have a lower minimum threshold for excitement and connections, it makes them an infidelity risk,” Dr. Jones told The Times of London. “Those who sell themselves well on initial dates and are smooth and charming sometimes have an agenda and will use that rush of excitement for later exploitation. Red flags for more harmful behavior should be much more compromising than red flags due to boringness.”
It’s important to note that while emophilia can be beneficial in many contexts, like any trait, extreme levels might not always be adaptive. Balance in emotional experience and expression is generally considered healthy.
As this is a newer area of study, our understanding of emophilia may evolve as more research is conducted. If you’re interested in learning more, I’d recommend looking into recent psychological studies on emotional tendencies and preferences.
