Wheres The Intimacy?
Sexual involvement today is often left without intimacy and commitment. According to Sternbergs triangular theory of love (Hyde, 1990), intimacy and a commitment make up two-thirds of the love relationship. More than ever, relationships are gauged by the degree of passion that is felt (which without intimacy will fade). More than ever, the date is more of a formality of getting to the sexual intercourse versus sexual intercourse being a result of intimacy built through a dating relationship. Hettlinger (1974) states that, The process that had been affirmed in our friendships — closeness first and sex growing out of it — was reversed. If friendship entered into our relationships (sexual) with boys, it was by a freak chance (chap. 5). The overwhelming concern with overt displaying of affection as evidence of love is that sometimes (unless a true friendship was established before the affection) a friendship is never developed because sex interferes with the ability to become more intima
