Image: Adam Kazmierski
-
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
Read More »
Love has inspired countless works of art, from immortal plays such as Romeo and Juliet, to architectural masterpieces such as the Taj Mahal, to classic pop songs, like Queen's “Love of My Life”. This raises the obvious question: why is love such a stimulating emotion? Why does the act of falling in love – or at least thinking about love – lead to such a spur of creative productivity?
One possibility is that when we’re in love we actually think differently. This romantic hypothesis was recently tested by the psychologists Jens Förster, Kai Epstude, and Amina Özelsel at the University of Amsterdam. The researchers found that love really does alter our thoughts, and that this profound emotion affects us in a way that is different than simply thinking about sex.
The clever experiments demonstrated that love makes us think differently in that it triggers global processing, which in turn promotes creative thinking and interferes with analytic thinking. Thinking about sex, however, has the opposite effect: it triggers local processing, which in turn promotes analytic thinking and interferes with creativity.
Why does love make us think more globally? The researchers suggest that romantic love induces a long-term perspective, whereas sexual desire induces a short-term perspective. This is because love typically entails wishes and goals of prolonged attachment with a person, whereas sexual desire is typically focused on engaging in sexual activities in the "here and now". Consistent with this idea, when the researchers asked people to imagine a romantic date or a casual sex encounter, they found that those who imagined dates imagined them as occurring farther into the future than those who imagined casual sex.
According to construal level theory (CLT), thinking about events that are farther into the future or past - or any kind psychological distancing (such as considering things or people that are physically farther away, or considering remote, unlikely alternatives to reality) triggers a more global processing style. In other words, psychological distancing makes us see the forest rather than the individual trees.
A global processing style promotes creative thinking because it helps raise remote and uncommon associations. Consider, for example, the act of finding a gift for your partner. If we think about a gift while in a local mindset, then we’ll probably focus on more literal and concrete options, most of which involve a tangible object wrapped in colorful paper. We’ll probably consider the usual suspects, such as a watch, a book, or perfume. However, thinking about a gift more globally might inspire us to consider a gift as "anything that will make him/her happy". This may, in turn, bring to mind more diverse and original ideas, such as going on a joint vacation, writing a song, or cleaning and remodeling the house. Of course, this doesn’t mean we should always think globally. While local processing might interfere with creativity, it also promotes analytic thinking, which requires us to apply logical rules. For example, if you are looking for a piece of furniture in a big display according to a pre-defined list of criteria (e.g., size, color, price), a local mindset may help you find a match, by preventing you from being side-tracked by attractive but irrelevant options and by making you pay more attention to relevant details.
In sum, the authors suggest that, because love activates a long-term perspective that elicits global processing, it should also promote creativity and impede analytic thinking. In contrast, inasmuch as sex activates a short-term perspective that elicits local processing, it should also promote analytic thinking and impede creative thinking.
See what we're tweeting about
42 Comments
Add CommentI would be interested in the inverse as well. Does global or creative thinking produce a sense of love? Does local or analytical thinking produce eroticism?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAre philosophers particularly randy?
Are ad copywriters loving?
Which are politicians; creative or analytical; loving or lustful?
It is really a interesting and funny research! Here comes some questions; If falling in love will give rise to more creative thoughts, then I wonder that does the researchers of the project are in love, if not, why come across this kind of program? Furtherly, if love truly has the power to elicit some more original and creative thinking, why there are many people who in love have done so many a stupid and ridiculous actions even crimes. Can these actions be named creativities? But, in my opinion, love has the power to make a person more mature and make a naturely shy individual a cheekiness!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI once heard love described scientifically as a complete loss of ego boundaries that allows human beings to reproduce. Based on that premise, it seems logical that the mind would be in a more creative, well, mind-set.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthis is really excellent research,i believe. It reminds me of a couple in public,one who is in love and one who is just together for sex. the male of the relationship has his wondering eyes doing what they do best ,he notices another male looking right at his "lady friend" jealousy sets in,and he decides to pick a fight. On the other hand we have a couple who is in love,the male and the female are so content just being together that they are only focused on their conversation or activities they are enjoying at the time.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExcellent article, important research. Compare Dennis Kucinich and Lindsay Graham as politicians, or even Dems and Repubs. This is worth exploring and implementing as sociological doctrine, and teaching in political science.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswhat if we break down "in love" with "love"? i would think that "love" would mean more the long term relationship and seeing-ahead vs "in love" which may or may not result in long term coupling.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisalso, is "in love" closer to the just sex? many couples love each other, but are not "in love" - and the gifts are not always that creative!
lastly, i think it really depends on the persons involved. some people are just more creative romantically than others!
I would postulate that the phenomenon is more to do with mood swings, than simply falling in love. This is also the theory behind enhanced creativity of those with bipolar disorder and the hypomanic state.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis doesn't explain the Einsteins, Woody Allens, Assimovs, or Edisons.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll we see here is the manifestation of difference/sameness dynamics, anti-symmetry (local) vs symmetry (global), differentiating vs integrating (where the latter cannot reduce past a PAIR).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLove, as compared to sex, covers sharing and as such elicits more symmetry-focused dynamics, resonances etc and with that comes such as a focus on perfection, the aesthetically pleasing etc and sharing of context over the individual focus on replacing of context (where such covers anger and sexual love).
Devotion to another/others has foundations in FEAR as does quality control (discernment) have foundations in GRIEF. Both of these stem from a more general foundation in the sharing of context and use of such for protection and assertion of identity (sex/anger on the other hand focuses on asserting one's own context and as such is competitive)
With a symmetry focused mindset we are open to the rich associative memory elements of such but these can lack precision for the sake of ease in comprehension (the need to share) and eliciting of resonance.
With a more anti-symmetry/asymmetry focus we move into high precision that can break symmetry and as such things become more competitive and the PAIR aspect of symmetry is reduced to the SINGLE aspect of asymmetry where the focus is more on self-gratification, and immediatly so, over delayed gratification. Thus the PAIR nature of 'love' surrenders to the narcissism of 'self-love' over 'others-love'.
The full spectrum of creativity has to cover all aspects and brings out differences in adaptive (in the box) vs innovative (out of the box) creativity.
I want to say, as the love creates a confidence and confident is the preceeding to sucess. So, This is a major part of the statement of creativity for a person in Love.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAbout Sex, NO IDEA.
The creativity of a male bowerbird concerning the assemblage of blue decorative objets d' art is purely powered by the rules of the " dating & mating" game, and though this may be strictly "seasonal" , it's all in the name of survival of his genes by sexual selection. i.e. ladies' choice!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnly we humans wax lyrical about (as yet) unfulfilled love! I think it was the philosopher Herbert Marcuse who described "culture " as the sacrificing anode of our sex drive.
When a person is truly in love, they don't usually have a need to engage in the pursuit of sex/reproduction. That basic need is met, and it frees the person to think about deeper, more abstract things. Makes sense to me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut what happens when the love is gone? The absence of that love often inspires me in my songwriting and other creative pursuits, so I'm not sure how that fits in with these findings...
well looking forward the answer too.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut i hope reverse is true as well.
form my point of view creativity is made a lot by sensitivity, sensorial and emotional. so i can guess it can true as well.
I think this article is an excellent start off for this topic but I would want to read or see more facts from the case study to prove the basis of this research. Yes, we can agree or disagree with the premise for the research but I think this needs years of research and to have a large outcome as evidence.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot a bad start - off...!
Not a bad start -off but I would need more documentation from case studies, before I could agree or disagree with the premise.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlus, a researcher would need some years to observe the participants in such a study....
I think LOVE affects our BRAIN by triggering the certain area of it, to release various "Neurotransmitters" that alters our way of thinking from STRAIGHT THINKING PATTERN to ALTERNATE THINKING PATTERN, thus making us more CREATIVE... how does it sound???
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think LOVE affects our brain by letting it secretes certain 'neurotransmitters' that alters our way of thinking from "Straight Thinking Pattern" to "Alternate Thinking Pattern", thus making us more CREATIVE...how does it sound
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEven though I am not a psychologist, I felt these investigations about the effects of love or sex make complete sense. I think its desirous to be a creative thinker as well as good at analytic problem solving. So those in love tend to have not so good analytical skills compared to ones with sex on their minds and the ones with sex on their minds ought not to have good creative skills. Its a paradox.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSince creativity and analytical problem solving are genetic to some extent and conditional to some for an individual. I believe these skills exist in an individual much before love or sex on the mind. So a person with good creative skills can end up always thinking about sex OR a person with good analytical skills end up being deeply in love.
How do you explain that?
There was a nat'l geographic article that equates the chemical changes in the brain when in love to those that happen when using cocaine. Does cocaine produce a creative mindset?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisya right. probably you asked such a question after having a cocaine shot.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI feel like there's an interesting point to this, certianly, but I wonder about the writer's synonymous use of the term "creativity" with what seems to be the process of "thinking globally".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAm i reading too much into this as an artist? To me, thinking globally is very important in art-making, especially if the goal of your art is to strike a resonant human chord, but it's not the same as creativity by any means. Creativity, literally "originative; productive" is an impulse to make something new; whether that "making" energy is directed into visual art, performance, the way you live your life, or even popping out a baby is of course a decision left up to the individual.
In my experience, sex, anger, lust, angst, and lack thereof of all listed can be much more motivating in terms of creating artistic inertia than "love", which can be quite numbing and lazily paralyzing, albeit wonderfully so.
RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONING
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt may be that falling in love itself is a synthetic function; or as my wife used to say, "something clicked," meaning that several pieces seemed to fall into place at once when we met.
That clicking is synthesis, an autonomous function which seems so overwhelming because the brain is putting together, synthesizing, more life experiences than we could possibly be conscious of at the same time.
Our brains do two kinds of thinking that was thought to be more or less localized to different hemispheres of the brain. (I'm not aware that modern brain mapping and research has been able to debunk that 80's theory.) One side constructs, the other deconstructs: synthesis and analysis respectively. This coincides quite reasonably with two other mental functioning: emotional and rational.
It should be noted that the emotional feeling side of the brain is right brain function. We do indeed tend to relate rational thinking with analysis, both left brain functions. We still refer to emotional matters as matters of the heart. Again, the heart is on the left side of our bodies, which is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. There may even be an evolutionary link between strong right brain emotional responses to stimuli like danger, and survival. The right brain would then be the, indirect, trigger for the production of adrenalin which gets the heart pumping to get us out of danger, or into danger in the case of romantic encounters.
It shouldn't therefore be surprising if all the activity over the other side relating to emotional matters, or even if emotional responses originate from right brain activity, that all this activity should produce the urge to create which is also a right brain function.
Don't get hung up too much on the term "global" thinking. The latest support for discussions on the nature of right vs left hemispheric brain functioning comes from the work of a researcher who suffered a stroke in the left hemisphere (analytic/deconstructive) of her brain. She was subsequently able to describe the impractical but euphoric nature of purely right brain thinking in the book "My Stroke of Insight" (Jill Bolte Taylor).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNow "global" thinking would therefore reflect the ability of the brain to pull together all of our (global) life's experiences in a time defying act of synthesis. This means that, something, someone, triggers so many of the good memories of our life experiences that we feel as though we have been struck by Cupid's arrow, something like the dynamics of a sonic boom where all the sound of a plane's engines arrive at a point simultaneously.
Another poster referred to the release of neurotransmitters during a romantic encounter, again triggered by this global function I've just described. One of the results of the release of brain hormones triggered by this global recognition stimulated by a particular face or voice, is to trigger a complex interaction between parthyroids and adrenal glands which results in the manufacture of adrenalin. Simultaneous feelings of euphoria, and the stimulation of adrenalin combine to create a drug capable of hooking an individual for a lifetime. Included in that loop of synthesis is the creativity noted by the article. Indeed creation is itself a synthetic function by definition, and therefore a right brain function.
None of this is related to the deconsructive activity of the left hemisphere of the brain which Western culture seems more capable of measuring than creativity. (IQ tests are heavily biased towards measuring analysis more so than synthesis.) They're probably thousands of individuals earning good livings from the analytic abilities for every one doing the same from their creativity. Nevetheless, analysis of what has happened comes later if at all, when the individual comes out of his trance to find his wallet missing, if he's lucky, or much later to find he's lost half of his life's possessions to some young woman without the skill or the will to work for the same.
I believe people in love are less fearful and more confident, which could allow them to think at a different level.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI could not agree more, as a designer and creative catalyst for a fortune 100 company, I try to encourage looking past immediate solutions or immediate red tape. Thinking globally is what allows each person to quickly rotate and replace possible scenarios while solving the problem at hand. Short term thinking to solutions often kills the idea were it stands.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFollow http://twitter.com/ChapmanCatalyst to find out more mental floss on creativity, design, problem solving in work and in life.
The views and opinions I express are my own and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of my parent company.
Kudos elizabttac123, I couldn't agree more.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat about science and scientists?- Doing science involves (or is supposed to involve) creativity and logic together...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat implications would this have for doing science and scientists? Doing science involves or is supposed to involve creativity and logic together...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLove this article! I have always believed that love is NOT just having sex with someone! Love is about so much more.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHopeless Romantic
This makes a lot of sense to me, both in terms of personal experience and intellectual perspective. Being in love makes you think about the future, and the future is basically a set of possibilities. The farther into the future you're thinking, the more possibilities there are to consider. Also agree with Arun's point re confidence - having someone else validate you so strongly as to love you gives you enormous confidence, which makes you inclined to think more broadly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt also makes a lot of sense that sex makes you think more analytically - more tactically as opposed to strategically. If you're on a date or at a bar and your sole focus is to get her (or just anyone) to go home with you, you think in very specific tactical terms about what you need to say and do to achieve that result. In other words, sex makes you focus your thinking on getting someone else to do something for you. Love makes you expand your thinking to consider all the different ways you could make someone else happy, and share that happiness with them.
This makes a lot of sense to me, both in terms of personal experience and intellectual perspective. Being in love makes you think about the future, and the future is basically a set of possibilities. The farther into the future you're thinking, the more possibilities there are to consider. Also agree with Arun's point re confidence - having someone else validate you so strongly as to love you gives you enormous confidence, which makes you inclined to think more broadly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt also makes a lot of sense that sex makes you think more analytically - more tactically as opposed to strategically. If you're on a date or at a bar and your sole focus is to get her (or just anyone) to go home with you, you think in very specific tactical terms about what you need to say and do to achieve that result. In other words, sex makes you focus your thinking on getting someone else to do something for you. Love makes you expand your thinking to consider all the different ways you could make someone else happy, and share that happiness with them.
Think more about what? If I'm thinking about sex, I'm thinking about it a lot. So much, that I don't think there is room for much thought outside of that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLove... those thoughts are stress related. Such thoughts weigh more because they kill us faster. That's why science gives loves affects props.
Sex... love - pointless when left to idle in your mind.
Long term thinking before sex is what kept me childless and HIV free for 38 years. The tedious act of trying to get laid is a fantastic, magical journey. You have to be pretty creative if you wanna smack bacon with someone (that wasn't too graphic was it). Sure there have been those "moments" - but alcohol gets the credit, usually.... Read More
Passion and lust is the source of the creativity. Love is the final result. Any creative spark that happens after love has been found is, typically, an attempt to reignite WHAT? The passion in the relationship.
Oh, I could go on and on and on...
Think more about what? If I'm thinking about sex, I'm thinking about it a lot. So much, that I don't think there is room for much thought outside of that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLove... those thoughts are stress related. Such thoughts weigh more because they kill us faster. That's why science gives loves affects props.
Sex... love - pointless when left to idle in your mind.
Long term thinking before sex is what kept me childless and HIV free for 38 years. The tedious act of trying to get laid is a fantastic, magical journey. You have to be pretty creative if you wanna smack bacon with someone (that wasn't too graphic was it). Sure there have been those "moments" - but alcohol gets the credit, usually.... Read More
Passion and lust is the source of the creativity. Love is the final result. Any creative spark that happens after love has been found is, typically, an attempt to reignite WHAT? The passion in the relationship.
Oh, I could go on and on and on...
If falling in love is benificial to our perceptual processing, then our creativity, maybe maintaining a good long-term relationship like buddyhood with a fellow could trigger global processing as well, since valuing relationship needs future perspective. So, for those who don't have one to fall for yet, it's okay. Picturing a mutual furture or plan with your buddy could have the same creativity effect.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthe smartest person in the room is not always right. The smartest analysis may be the furthest from the ability to feel. Chill out, read some eecummings, I suggest. for example, sweet spring is love time and viva sweet love, or the little balloon man whistles far and wee.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA future article that could be interesting is the biochemical nature of the 'love bug'.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis seems to be another one of the "Duh!" surveys-- of course you think differently in love-- any manager can tell when his/her/it's people have fallen in love-- productivity drops way off, attention span becomes even more limited, and they are essentially useless for about 2 weeks, when the brain finally balances out the chemistry. Me-- when I notice the symptoms, I make sure to keep an extra eye on them, and try to keep them from working aloft. (Do heavy construction).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe talk about love and creativity...What is the personality type of the test subjects??? What fraction of them are left-brain users and what fraction are right brain users?? How does this affect the over all result of the experiment??
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFascinating article! As a writer, I've always noticed a surge of creativity when I fall in love. Falling in love, or infatuation, is mediated by naturally occuring amphetamines, hence the surge in creativity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJeanne Ainslie
Fascinating article! As a writer, I've always noticed a surge of creativity when I fall in love. Falling in love, or infatuation, is mediated by naturally occuring amphetamines, hence the surge in energy and creativity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy most creative employees have always been independent, solitary loners. I can imagine the theory having merit, but in practice, I'd say 9 times out of 10, being in love leads to procreation & distracts from creation.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI like the way the phenomena is explained - love puts us into a 'global processing' mode which is more creative whereas thinking about sex puts us in a 'localized' processing mode which interferes with creativity but promotes logical thinking.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHowever, I'm surprised that nothing is mentioned about the underlying feeling states that these two modes engender because I think that that's important to think about as well.
Thinking about sex is going to put us into a more agitated state which obviously will 'fire up' and stimulate the brain and therefore make us better at solving logical problems. On the other hand, thinking about love releases tensions and makes us feel calmer and more relaxed and - as many studies have shown - feeling relaxed puts us into a more creative state of mind. So thinking about doing things that puts one in a relaxed state of mind is key, I think, and some people may find that more helpful as an explanation?
Because if the 'switch' that puts us in a more globalised processing mode is a relaxed state of mind then we do not have to think only about love - there are many other things one could do to enter a more creative mindset: take a bath, meditate etc.