A study on relationships at Northwestern University concludes that heartbreak is perceived to be worse than it is in reality. The conclusion? The feelings associated with break-ups are overstated.
Eli Finkel, an assistant professor of psychology at Northwestern University, along with his colleague, Paul Eastwick, conducted a
study on young relationships and heartbreak, according to Reuters.
Their goal was to discover whether young people could correctly predict the amount of heartbreak that would result from a break-up.
After a nine-month study of college students they came to the conclusion that the perception of heartbreak was much more devastating than the actual amount of heartbreak after the break-up.
Obviously, there is some pain that is associated with the end of a relationship especially if the couple was in love. However, Finkel states, "At the end of the day, it is just less bad than you thought."
This study has given us a reason to stop underestimating our ability to endure heartbreak and perhaps has proved that youngsters do not rely so much on a relationship to make them happy. There is much joy in realizing your own strength to move on and not relying on a crutch as your sole purpose in life.
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