{"id":82776,"date":"2023-02-01T07:45:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T07:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=82776"},"modified":"2024-05-20T08:44:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T08:44:23","slug":"what-is-panromantic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/physical-intimacy\/what-is-panromantic\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Signs That You May Be a Panromantic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

What is love? Is it attraction, sex, connection, growth, compassion…the list goes on? Nowhere do the words label, rigid or conventional fit in. And yet many still force the traditional male-female labels. <\/span>Instead, embrace what love means to you, and if that’s panromantic, you’ll resonate with these signs.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/span>What is Panromantic?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

The<\/span> Cambridge dictionary defines panromantics<\/span><\/a> as <\/span>being “attracted to people of any gender in a romantic way”. Nevertheless, it’s more than just a phrase. It’s an identity and a movement. <\/b><\/p>\n

If your big question today is, “Am I panromantic,” you’ll need to reflect on more than just what attracts you. It’s also useful to reflect on how you see yourself in the future because preferences change, which is perfectly normal. <\/span><\/p>\n

A useful<\/span> panromantic test<\/span><\/a> can give you a starting point as you set off on your journey to explore what you want and need in life from partners. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Difference between Panromantic and Pansexual<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

To fully understand things, it’s worth noting the differences between panromantic vs. pansexual. As the<\/span> dictionary on pansexual<\/span><\/a> states, <\/span>pansexual is when people are sexually, rather than romantically, attracted to others, regardless of gender. <\/b><\/p>\n

Interestingly, the word pansexual came from one of Freud’s critics around 1914. Essentially, as this pansexual timeline indicates, psychologist Victor J. Haberman criticized Freud’s view that all human behavior is motivated by sex. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although originally, pansexual didn’t refer to sexual orientation but was a word to define behaviors not motivated by sex.<\/b> As this<\/span> BBC article on understanding pansexuality<\/span><\/a> continues to state, it was sex researcher Alfred Kinsey who, in the 1940s, liberated us from fixed labels. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, sexuality was on a spectrum. This potentially led the way to today’s explosions of terms to try to define everyone’s individual preferences and habits with partners. <\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, the idea of a spectrum opens up the idea of sexual fluidity, where preferences and habits can change throughout one’s lifetime. <\/b><\/p>\n

We might identify with the panromantic flag at one point in our life. Perhaps we later feel more in tune with pansexual or even any other possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>10 signs you may be Panromantic<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Love<\/p>\n

The American singer Miley Cyrus famously declared herself as a part of panromantics, as detailed in this<\/span> ABC News article on Cyrus<\/span><\/a>, despite potential friction with her family. Even today, breaking away from the so-called norm can be challenging. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, review this list as you consider who you identify as. There’s always time to get the right support and guidance to then share this with those around you.  <\/span><\/p>\n

1. Attracted to personality<\/b><\/h3>\n

Naturally, personality impacts relationships because it’s part of how we interact with each other. Moreover, personality dictates how open you are to new experiences and to each other. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, to some people, it’s all about personality. <\/span>You might still then be physically attracted to them, but as we’ll see, it’s the connection and the romance with that personality that takes precedence. <\/b><\/p>\n

So, what exactly is personality? Western psychologists like to refer to the Big 5:  openness to new experiences, conscientiousness, extroversion or introversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although, as this<\/span> APA article on new studies on the Big 5<\/span><\/a>, there are critics who question whether this is a universal model. Regardless, panromantics might be more attracted to those who behave in certain ways, whether it’s openness or how outgoing they are. <\/span><\/p>\n

That’s not to say that other people aren’t impacted by personality in their choice of partners. It’s more a question of focus and how they prioritize that focus. <\/span><\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/i><\/b>: <\/span><\/i>What Are the Types of Attraction and How Do They Affect Us<\/span><\/i><\/a>?<\/span><\/pre>\n
2. A romantic at heart <\/b><\/h3>\n
Perhaps you’re more interested in a deep connection or an intimate bond before sex even comes into the picture if it ever does. <\/span>Some panromantics are asexual but either way, what matters in your core is bonding rather than mating. <\/b><\/p>\n
In other words, as psychologist Lisa Diamond explains in her paper on Emerging Perspectives on Distinctions Between Romantic Love and <\/span>Sexual Desire<\/span><\/a>, sexual and romantic drives are intertwined, but they are different in their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n
3. Emotionally connected <\/b><\/h3>\n
The difference between pansexual and panromantic isn’t quite so extreme that it’s either. People are more subtle than that, and there are often overlaps, especially when it comes to emotions and sex.  <\/span><\/p>\n
Whilst some can separate emotions and sex, most people view romance as an emotion, including many psychologists. A rather interesting and potentially controversial approach is detailed in this<\/span> paper on whether love is an emotion<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
In summary, there seems to be an argument to show that love is also a construct and a script. In other words, the mind interprets body sensations as love. Is it, therefore, simply a set of responses based on our backgrounds and who we are? <\/b><\/p>\n
Perhaps love is both a cultural and biological “pattern of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions”. It doesn’t make those emotions any less real, and if they’re your priority, perhaps you can say yes to the question, “am I panromantic”. <\/span><\/p>\n
Watch this video to find out more about emotions and where they come from so you can also start working with them: <\/span><\/p>\n