Why Do We Have A Crush

We all have gone through this phase at some point in our lives. You meet someone and almost immediately you develop strong feelings for them, irrespective of whether they like you or not. The phenomenon is called crush and it’s the time when your heart races and you get a rush. The emotions in a crush are too strong and we often get carried away. So, why do we have a crush in the first place? Well, scientists have tried answering the same question and have come up with some interesting findings.

Chemicals and hormones: Once we have a crush on someone, our body releaseschemicals such as dopamine and hormonessuch as oxytocin and cortisol. When these chemicals start running in your veins and reach your brain, it becomes quite difficult to manage your feelings. Even people with strong will power may find it difficult to tackle the effects of these chemicals. The limbic system of our brain is programmed to receive as much dopamine as it can, which is quite like being addicted to it. So, naturally we tend to get attracted to sexy people and it results in a crush.

Evolutionary systems: These play an important role in determining who we get attracted to. One of the primary functions of evolutionary systems is to ensure that the offspring is better than the parent. One aspect of this is the immune system, which varies from individual to individual. Evolutionary systems can automatically sense a potential mate having a different immune profile, which leads to attraction. When two people with different immune profiles mate, the offspring will have a stronger immunity and hence better chance of survival. So, your crush is actually your subconsciousendeavor to produce a healthier offspring.

Limbic system is irreplaceable: The brain’s limbic system hasn’t changed much in the last 2 million years, and it’s highly unlikely that it will change in the future. This is why we forget all logic and reasoningwhen we have a crush. Our entire focus is on our love interest and we are willing to do anything to be with them. So, if someone points fingers at you for your irrational behavior, just blame it on the limbic system.

Having a crush is not something to worry about, as long as your normal life is not affected. However, if you are developing extreme feelings for someone, it would be better to let your brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) take control of the situation. If you want to avoid thinking about someone, keep yourself busy with work, play, leisure and physical activities. The less you think about your crush, the easier it will become to get over the addiction.