With Valentine’s Day coming up, it turns out what counts most isn’t just how loved you feel, it’s how much love you show others.
A new study co-authored by Dr. Juan Xi, a sociology professor at the University of Akron, analyzed responses from nearly 40,000 adults across the United States. The research found that expressing love through small, meaningful actions plays a powerful role in helping people thrive, and it boosts our own well-being, too.
Published in the Humanistic Management Journal, the study examined how feeling loved as a child, feeling loved by a higher power, and actively showing love to others all relate to overall flourishing. The key takeaway? Showing love had a stronger connection to well-being than simply feeling loved.
In fact, researchers found that the impact of showing love was comparable to how people feel about their financial security, a surprisingly strong effect.
The findings suggest that leaders in workplaces, schools, and communities can promote healthier, more flourishing environments by encouraging everyday acts of kindness, care, and connection.
So as Valentine’s Day approaches, the message may be simple: the love you give could matter even more than the love you receive.
