Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and author, explores the intricacies of love and attachment, revealing its evolutionary roots as a survival mechanism. She discusses how sex plays a crucial role in our lives and the scientific insights gathered from fMRI studies on love. Fisher elaborates on concepts like 'slow love,' the impact of online dating, and generational shifts in romantic attitudes. Her wealth of knowledge uncovers why love is not just a feeling, but a powerful drive that shapes human connections.
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Helen Fisher's Early Life on Love
Helen Fisher shares vivid childhood experiences showing her early exposure to and understanding of sex and love within her family.
These stories illustrate how sex and partnership were normalized and valued in her upbringing.
insights INSIGHT
Love as a Brain Drive
Romantic love is a powerful brain system evolved for survival, not a supernatural phenomenon.
It drives humans to pair up, form bonds, and pass on DNA, much like thirst or hunger.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Make Love Last Longer
Sustain love by doing novel activities together to stimulate the dopamine system.
Keep up sex, pleasant touch, and staying in touch to maintain attachment and romantic feelings.
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First Sex, The Natural Talents of Women and How They're Changing the World
First Sex, The Natural Talents of Women and How They're Changing the World
Helen Fisher
“Nobody gets out of love alive. We all suffer. We all have disappointments. It’s such a powerful brain system.”
Why do we fall in love with one person over another? The late biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher unpacks the evolutionary roots of romantic love, sex, and attachment.
Using research derived from the ethnographies of hunter-gatherer societies and fMRI brain scans Fisher explains how love functions as a powerful survival mechanism.
00:00:00 A life shaped by love and curiosity
00:00:17 What was growing up like for you?
00:00:47 When did you first learn about sex?
00:03:30 What is the importance of sex in our lives?
00:06:13 How did your family life lead you to study the brain?
00:08:19 Is love supernatural?
00:09:23 Love is a drive, not a feeling
00:09:33 Why did humans evolve in a way other mammals did not?
00:17:18 How did you conduct your FMRI studies?
00:19:14 What did you find in your FMRI studies?
00:21:30 Did you think about the reviewer who called love “supernatural”?
00:21:54 Could you describe your next study?
00:24:15 How can this information be used?
00:26:12 How to make love last
00:28:25 How can we maintain a long-term relationship?
00:29:19 What is science doing to expand our understanding of love?
00:30:13 What work do you do with Match.com?
00:34:37 How is online dating affecting love?
00:37:22 What is “slow love"?
00:41:07 How are millennials approaching love?
00:43:31 Are men and women different?
00:53:59 Why are millennials different?
00:55:16 Does this change from city to city?
00:57:27 Does sex, love, and attachment always happen in that order?
01:05:04 What are the findings of your work?
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About Helen Fisher:
Helen E. Fisher, Ph.D. Biological anthropologist, was a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and a Member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University. She wrote six books on the evolution, biology, and psychology of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the neural chemistry of romantic love and attachment, human biologically-based personality styles, why we fall in love with one person rather than another, hooking up, friends with benefits, living together and other current trends, and the future of relationships — what she called: slow love.
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