<p>Today’s topic: love. Forget Valentine’s Day—where romance only happens once a year. Try my new book, <a href="https://www.arthurbrooks.com/books/the-meaning-of-your-life"><em>The Meaning of Your Life</em></a>, out March 31, where I describe how to make love lifelong.</p><p>Many people today feel discouraged about love. Fewer people are getting married, fewer are falling in love, and more are opting out of romance altogether. This isn’t just a personal problem—it’s a cultural one.</p><p>In this episode of <em>Office Hours</em>, I explore what’s happening to romantic love and why it matters so deeply to our sense of meaning in life. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and ancient wisdom, I examine what love actually is, what happens when we fall in love, and why heartbreak is often a necessary part of learning to love well. I also share three practical rules for finding love in a time when many people are afraid to risk it at all.</p><p>This episode isn’t about dating advice or quick fixes. It’s about understanding love as one of the most powerful paths to meaning, growth, and a life well lived, even when it doesn’t come easily.</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Where to find Arthur Brooks: </strong></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://arthurbrooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• Newsletter: <a href="https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> </p><p>• X: <a href="https://x.com/arthurbrooks" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>• Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>—</p><p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Intro</p><p>(03:34) Arthur and Ester’s love story </p><p>(06:44) Why entrepreneurial love stories are dwindling</p><p>(07:44) Data on the decline in love, marriage, and sex</p><p>(11:10) What happens when you’re falling in love</p><p>(23:37) Why relationships don’t work out </p><p>(26:42) The mystical side of romantic love</p><p>(30:40) What love is and why the English language falls short of explaining it</p><p>(35:10) Love lessons from the Greeks </p><p>(40:25) Rule 1: Take more risks</p><p>(48:01) Rule 2: Look for your complement </p><p>(52:02) Rule 3: Don’t fear the breakup </p><p>(55:52) Q&amp;A: Are there different types of decision-makers</p><p>(57:10) Q&amp;A: The effects of cold plunges </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Referenced:</strong> </p><p>•<em> The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness</em>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness/dp/0593545427"><u>https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness/dp/0593545427</u></a></p><p>• The Happiness Scale: <a href="https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale"><u>https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale</u></a></p><p>•Understanding the Science of Love: A Practical Guide: <a href="https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/love"><u>https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/love</u></a> </p><p>• <em>Don Quixote</em>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Quixote-Penguin-Classics-Cervantes-Saavedra/dp/0142437239"><u>https://www.amazon.com/Quixote-Penguin-Classics-Cervantes-Saavedra/dp/0142437239</u></a></p><p>• Oxytocin: <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin"><u>https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin</u></a> </p><p>• Vasopressin: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/vasopressin"><u>https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/vasopressin</u></a></p><p>• The sociopaths among us: How to spot (and avoid) a Dark Triad: <a href="https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/the-sociopaths-among-us-how-to-spot-and-avoid-a-dark-triad"><u>https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/the-sociopaths-among-us-how-to-spot-and-avoid-a-dark-triad</u></a> </p><p>• Emophilia: An overlooked (but not forgotten) construct in relationships and individual differences: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886924000114"><u>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886924000114</u></a> </p><p>• 3 Steps to Managing Your Emotions: <a href="https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/3-steps-to-managing-your-emotions"><u>https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/3-steps-to-managing-your-emotions</u></a> </p><p>• ...References continued at: <a href="https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠</a></p><p>—</p><p>Production and marketing by ⁠<a href="https://penname.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠. </p>