What Is Fatuous Love According to Sternberg?

  Fatuous love, defined by psychologist Robert J. Sternberg, allows us to understand why some relationships fail. In the universe of affective bonds, nothing is easy and, often, we fall into that exciting trap of desire, passion, and dopamine nourishing each dynamic. However, the ties that start out only from a place of physical attraction are soon to expire. In Latin, “fatuus” translates as “foolish,” “naive,” or “extravagant.” This term is that which defines couples who build their relationship based on commitment and passion, but who leave out intimacy. Those solid pillars where complicity, openness, and trust help to overcome…