Gut instincts best predictor of a happy relationship?

Steve Prezant/Getty Images

Steve Prezant/Getty Images


The study of 100 newlywed couples measured response time to categorizing words with clearly defined positive/negative values as “good” or “bad” when displayed in conjunction with pictures of your partner.

The idea is your positive feelings for your partner should make you respond to the “good” words faster and the “bad” words slower. If the opposite occurs, you’ve got some trouble. The test and technology is still too early in it’s development to be of any immediate use to couples but the findings do beg the question: how do you best listen to your gut when it comes to relationship?

For this blogger, being in touch with your primal “lizard brain” is an important part of dating health and safety. If something doesn’t sound right on a first encounter it’s a clue to listen more closely for inconsistencies and other warning signs. If something doesn’t feel right (if a person or behavior gets a physical response like an upset stomach, an unpleasant rush of adrenaline, a sudden spine tingling or surge in anxiety), it’s a sign to to find the nearest exit.

The need for a balance between the primitive and critical brain is key. Acknowledge those gut feelings but then ask “what made me react that way?” If after analyzing your response that gut feeling still seems to hold true, you have your answer. Do you listen to your gut?

Tony Bravo