Ashley Herbert, the recently engaged Bachelorette, can testify to the fact that playing hard to get works. Bentley Williams, a southern charmer with a mysterious early departure, left Ashley in the lurch with a sudden goodbye and a “dot, dot, dot.” Ashley spent weeks pining after Bentley until she finally got the chance to face him and get closure. In the early stages of a relationship, mystery increases excitement. You spend so much time thinking about the person that you convince yourself that you really like them. Infatuation is powerful and can prevent you from thinking clearly or rationally, literally giving you a high. Thankfully, this is temporary, though it does not always have a happy ending. Just as Bentley let Ashley down, infatuation does not necessarily lead to love. How do you bounce back from a love story gone awry? Find closure. Whether it’s through keeping a journal or talking to your friends, infatuation is temporary and soon you will be on to greener pastures.
STUDY: “He loves me, he loves me not…”: Uncertainty Can Increase Romantic Attraction
