How to Feel Truly Loved (with Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky and Dr. Harry Reis)

Pushkin. It's February, that time of year when we all feel like we're being bombarded with messages about love. Think lots of red hearts, ads for diamond rings, lingerie, chocolates, and on and on. For those of us with romantic partners, there's pressure to make the perfect reservation, buy the perfect gift, and plan that perfect date night. And if you're single, the season often comes with feelings of loneliness and FOMO.

Honestly, this time of year doesn't always feel great. It's like a huge Hallmark card being collectively shoved in all of our faces. This whole season is supposed to be about love, but that can raise some pretty big questions, like, is this what love is really about? And if not, how many of us are actually experiencing the kind of deep connection we need to feel happy, or even just okay? People, you know, how often do they feel loved and who do they feel loved most or least by?

And we find that about 70%, I believe, don't feel as loved as they want. This is the psychologist Sonia Lubomirsky, an expert on the science of happiness. They also said that their romantic partners were the people they most wanted to feel more love from, so they weren't getting as much as they wanted or even in many cases needed. And this is the psychologist Harry Reese, an expert on the science of relationships.

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