Students couldn’t answer professor’s question — why are people in faithful relationships still attracted to others? His answer became a life lesson.
Romantic relationships have long been defined by loyalty and faithfulness. When questioned about people in loyal relationships finding others attractive and even "catching feelings" for them, the class went silent. X user Goma (@soigomaa) shared an incident in which her professor changed her entire perspective on love with just one question. "Why do people in faithful relationships still get attracted to others?" was a question that no one really had an answer to. However, his response left the class speechless. The woman who posted the story online on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, believed that his response was a lesson for life.
I'll never forget the day my professor changed my whole perspective on love. The class was loud until he asked, "If you're in a relationship, do you still get crushes?" Silence washed over us. He drew a heart, wrote "Loyalty" and
— goma (@soigomaa) January 27, 2026
"Faithfulness" inside. "So if love contains these,…
In one of the classes, the professor asked, "If you're in a relationship, do you still get crushes?" The question left the entire class silent. He immediately drew a heart on the board and wrote the words "Loyalty" and "Faithfulness" inside it. He further asked his students why people got attracted to others despite their love containing these qualities. As the class grew silent over his questions, Goma immediately whispered, "Because it's not love." The professor, who heard her, turned toward her with a smile on his face. Satisfied with her answer, the professor said it was not love simply because someone was in a relationship.
He stated, "Sometimes we're only in a relationship because we love the idea of being with someone who cares for us," not necessarily because they were in love with that person. That line stuck with Goma, who realized that the professor was teaching a valuable lesson for life. A 2024 study published in BMC Psychology noted the importance of self-evaluation and healthy adult attachment development to better understand personal relationship needs. Encouraging secure adult attachment and supporting people in forming a positive sense of purpose can strengthen self-worth and reduce emotional stress around love. Many people were in relationships due to attachment issues because it soothed their fears of abandonment.
Goma's post attracted varied views from online users who chimed in to share their opinions. @NorthPath01 agreed, "That line about 'loving the idea of being cared for' is a total gut punch because it's so true. It's wild how many people are just 'roommates with benefits' because they're too scared to admit they're in love with a routine, not a person." @EchoJinx mentioned, "That's reductive though. You can definitely be in love and have a crush on someone. It doesn't mean you don't love them. What you choose to do about said crush does." @mutedformen remarked, "Most people stay in relationships out of convenience, fear, or the comfort of attention. Real love is rare because it requires loyalty and faithfulness even when temptation exists, not when it doesn't."
For more content, you can follow @soigomaa on X.
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