Intimacy and Chemistry

[spiritmech]

What exactly is the difference between intimacy and chemistry/passion?

According to the Triangular Theory of Love (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_theory_of_love) intimacy is the primary characteristic of friendship, passion is the primary characteristic of a more romantic love.

I've always assumed that if I had a friendly intimacy with a girl, that it would lead to passion. Obviously I've discovered that doesn't work. Great, now I know.

But what is intimacy and chemistry? A certain kind of Christian interpretation might go for intimacy and avoid passion altogether. I'm not sure that's the right approach.

I don't know if I've ever truly been in love, which is okay, but it makes it harder for me to identify what might be intimacy vs. what might be raw chemistry.

Thanks for your theories in advance.
sm

[clarency]

I look at intimacy vs passion much like subjective vs objective. While intimacy refers to the emotional relation you have with a person, passion refers to the physical (sex). I wouldn't necessarily pair chemistry with passion however.

Looking at the Triangular Theory of Love it has passion + commitment = fatuous (foolish) love, which appears to me, to be a relationship based on sex.

I think intimacy does lead to passion, just not all the time. I guess the feelings one person has for an individual need to be felt in return for passion to exist.

I don't think the Christian preference would be to remove passion from the relationship, just to simply have intimacy as a first preference. But I don't go to church so I don't really know what's taught.

I don't think I've been in love either. But apparantly when we are... we'll know >_> At least that's what I've heard lol.

Hope that helps
-Will.