Does real love exist? A big majority of People imagine it does, and most say they themselves have skilled real love in some unspecified time in the future of their lives, together with most women and men. However discovering real love might not be simple: lower than one in 5 People suppose the general public round them have discovered real love, and plenty of who've skilled it — notably amongst girls — say it's totally different from what they anticipated it to be.
However for many who have not skilled real love, there may be cause to be optimistic: People usually tend to have skilled real love the older they get, and most who have not suppose it is as a result of they only have not discovered real love but, not as a result of they suppose real love would not exist.
Whereas practically all People imagine in real love, the proportion that claims they've skilled it's a bit decrease. Eighty-six % of People suppose real love exists, whereas 67% say they've skilled it themselves.
Giant majorities of each women and men say they've skilled it themselves, although girls (69%) are barely extra prone to say they've skilled it than males are (64%).
However when you attain real love, it might not be precisely what you anticipated. Half of those that say they discovered real love in some unspecified time in the future of their lives additionally say it was totally different from what they anticipated it to be. This is a little more prone to be true for ladies than males.
Youthful adults have had essentially the most bother discovering real love — simply over half of adults beneath thirty say they've skilled it. However perseverance could repay in time: older People usually tend to say they've skilled real love of their lives, together with three in 4 seniors aged 65 and older.
A big majority of People who're presently married say they've skilled real love (although 15% say they haven't). Most People who're presently divorced or separated additionally say they've skilled real love, although they accomplish that in considerably smaller percentages, and they're additionally extra prone to say it was totally different from what they thought it will be like. Most single People who've by no means been married — who additionally are usually youthful — say they have not skilled real love.
Those that look to fiction as a information to discovering real love could also be in for a impolite awakening. Six in 10 People suppose romance novels and rom-coms make real love appear simpler to realize than it truly is.
The notion that real love might not be really easy to realize could also be evident in what People see after they take a look at different individuals: simply 18% suppose the general public of their lives have discovered real love. Nonetheless, a majority of People suppose at the least some of them have discovered real love. Those that say they've skilled real love themselves usually tend to see it in others.
As for the one in three People who've by no means skilled real love, it appears many nonetheless maintain out hope. When requested why, most mentioned they only hadn't discovered real love but, not that they do not suppose it actually existed.
This CBS Information/YouGov survey was performed with a nationally consultant pattern of 1,980 U.S. grownup residents interviewed between January 27-31, 2022. The pattern was weighted based on gender, age, race, and training based mostly on the U.S. Census American Group Survey and Present Inhabitants Survey, in addition to to 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.4 factors.