Triangular Theory of Love

I came across the Triangular Theory of Love in one of my college psychology courses, and it helped everything about my three-tier breakdown of relationships. Primary tier involves Commitment and hopefully Intimacy, if not Passion, for at least Companionate, if not Consummate love. Secondaries may lack Commitment, but are defined by Intimacy, and Passion in a non-sexual way for Romantic Love. Tertiaries involve primarily Passion, and sometimes stray misguidedly into Commitment without Intimacy for Fatuous Love.

As the diagram suggests, Intimacy without spark or conscious striving for longevity is just friendship. Asexuality can be accounted for by simply remembering that none of the factors revolve around sex. Passion, Intimacy, and Commitment can be achieved through common interests, mutual goals, emotional vulnerability, and cuddling. That said, because of the high incidence of relationships centered around sex, I’ve pretty much reserved the tertiary tier of my Relationship Matrix for sexual, less-emotional relationships. A causal relationship with an asexual would more likely fall into the low end of the secondary tier.