February 9th, 2010 - VANCOUVER (Canada) - Love is more an art than a science, and (as music can be represented with notes, and it comes from creativity) love can be represented with variables in an equation, and relationship can be improved with a holistic approach to couple dynamics. As long as the equation is open enough to let the respondents define what matters (and in which measure) for them in a relationship, and defined enough to allow comparison within a couple and also among different respondents.
Love can be represented as: Love = (Aw * Ag) + (Mw * Mg) + (A1w * A1g) + (Rw * Rg) + (Ew * Eg) + (...). By coincidence, the initials of those variables form the word AmAre, which in Italian language means "to love". The site www.amareway.org offers tool to easily calculate and compare the AmAre Way Index, online and offline.
These are the variables, which represent the pillars of a successful relationship:
A: Aware (being) of each other and couple's feelings, thoughts, needs and wants
M: Meditating together, or at least sharing thoughts
A1:Active (being) together, do things together
R: Respectful (being) of each other and couple's feelings, thoughts, needs and wants
E: Eating properly and support each other healthy lifestyle, and also feed the relationship with positive feelings and thoughts
For each of such pillars, two aspects are quantified by respondents:
w: weight, importance given to each aspect (sum of all weights should be 100)
g: grade, rating given to each aspect (each grade is a value between 0 and 1)
(...): if there are additional aspects considered too important to be included in the rest of the formula, they can be weighted and graded here
As mentioned on www.amareway.org/
A spreadsheet is offered on www.amareway.org/
This formula is meant to be descriptive and preventive, but not predictive. That is, it gives an idea of how the situation is now, and the strengths and weaknesses a couple should be aware of and act upon. Regardless of what the number says, a couple is always responsible, here and now, for the success of the relationship, so a high result still means a couple should keep going with the great affinity, and a lower result means there are aspects to act upon to improve the relationship. The author of this formula is also working on the formula of happiness which, in its more advanced form, will allow to predict different degrees of likelihood for an event, action, etc. to succeed in a specific context.
One of the love formula's strengths is its unlikeness to reach 1, the perfect score, or 0, the void. This formula is useful so couples can improve their awareness about the situation so far, and build a better present. Once the formula served its purposes, then a couple can move on. Because the ultimate success of a relationship is not in reaching number 1, it is in finding and renewing the appropriate couple-dynamics, for which the author of the formula suggest to follow the AmAre Way. If partners can accept they may have different views, and the fact they assign different weights and grades to the pillars of their relationship, and still respect and love each other, they are on the way to build together a lasting relationship.
AmAre formula offers a rational tool to gain more knowledge about the current status of a relationship;
For any question, input, etc. please use www.amareway.org/
